A new book by Richard Akinnola has revealed how former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, clashed with the Department of State Security (DSS) over the detention of activist Omoyele Sowore.

The clash happened after the secret police refused to obey a court order to release Sowore who was detained during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

In Akinnola's book, titled “I WRITE WHAT I LIKE”, he said, “Sometime in 2019, at the height of the detention of Omoyele Sowore by the Buhari government and the refusal of the DSS to obey court order for his release, l booked an appointment with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. I was aware of the previous efforts made by VP Osinbajo to get the DSS obey the court order, which almost led to a face-off with the security agency.

“Osinbajo said he had a job to go back to after leaving the office and he could not be around when such an order was being flouted. The DSS had told him that there could not be two presidents, a veiled reference to how Osinbajo, as acting president in 2018, sacked Lawal Daura as DG of DSS. Nonetheless, l still decided to see him, so that he could put more pressure on his government, which he did that day and Sowore was released same day I came to see him.

“Beyond the issue of advocacy,” Akinnola wrote, “I sometimes explored back channels to get things done, like in the case of the then detained Shitte leader, El Zakzakky, who was eventually granted bail, through this method”.

The 198-page book, consisting of twenty chapters, primarily compiles some of the author’s Facebook posts from 2017 to 2025.

It is set to be launched at the Airport hotel on Saturday, September 13, during the author’s 67th birthday Summit, titled “A handshake across the Niger: The Yoruba/Igbo detente." The event will be chaired by Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.

ASA