Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, was arrested on Thursday within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja by armed policemen shortly after he appeared in solidarity with detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Eyewitnesses reported that police officers confronted Sowore as he was leaving the court building. When questioned about the reason for his arrest, one of the officers stated that they were acting on the orders of the Commissioner of Police. Despite Sowore’s insistence on seeing a formal letter of invitation, the officers demanded that he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command. He eventually agreed to go after insisting that his lawyer must accompany him before being driven away in a police van.
Confirming the arrest, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong described the action as “preposterous” and an embarrassment to Nigeria’s judicial system. In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Effiong wrote, “The arrest of Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja moments ago is preposterous. The police and the Tinubu regime are making a mockery of our judicial system. He should be freed immediately. Stop the shenanigans.”
Sowore’s arrest came just days after he led a #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja on Monday, October 20. The demonstration, which called for the release of the IPOB leader, spread to other parts of the country and saw several protesters arrested. The police alleged that Sowore led demonstrators into a restricted area during the protest, prompting his arrest.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin explained that Sowore’s detention was to ensure fairness in the prosecution of all those involved in Monday’s protest. According to him, it would be unjust to prosecute only some protesters while leaving out the person alleged to have led them. He said, “If we move from there to charge some people to court and leave the person who led them to commit that act, more like their leader, that would not be fair. In the spirit of fair play and to ensure that justice is served, Omoyele Sowore was arrested today.”
Hundeyin further assured that Sowore would not be detained beyond the legally permitted time and that the activist would likely be arraigned within 24 hours. “Like the others, he wouldn’t spend time with us. He wouldn’t spend up to 24 hours with us. Once we wrap up the charges, he’s going to be prosecuted. In fact, if everything goes right, we plan to ensure that he’s prosecuted today,” he added.
