Pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore has called on Nigerian citizens to protect themselves from police brutality and state impunity by adopting digital and AI-powered technologies.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore encouraged the public to equip themselves with devices such as AI-enabled glasses, body cameras, and dashboard cameras—tools he says can act as impartial witnesses and help expose misconduct.
Sowore’s appeal follows a widely shared video of a Lagos motorist who was harassed by a police officer simply for wearing glasses. He praised the motorist’s defiance, saying the incident symbolises a growing public rejection of corruption and abuse.
Recounting his own ordeal earlier this year, Sowore said he used Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses in January 2025 to film a group of police officers extorting motorists near Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Instead of disciplining the officers, the police responded by charging him with cybercrime and impounding his passport and AI device—actions he called emblematic of the system’s hostility toward technology that exposes wrongdoing.
“I urge every citizen to protect themselves by arming up with body cams, AI glasses, dashboard cameras, and other digital tools… The era of darkness and impunity is coming to an end. Technology is our witness, and the revolt must be AI-powered if we are to defeat the old order.”
Sowore also criticised government officials, including Senate Chief Whip Opeyemi Bamidele, for labelling social media a “national threat,” arguing that such attitudes reflect a deeper fear of digital accountability.
