Amnesty International Nigeria has demanded the immediate release of human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, describing his detention as arbitrary and politically motivated.
Sowore was at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday to honour a police invitation when he was detained. He is currently under investigation by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit over alleged forgery and inciting disturbance.
In a post on its official X account, Amnesty International described the charges against Sowore as “bogus” and said his arrest is part of an ongoing pattern of harassment against him by the Nigerian police.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and drop all bogus and politically motivated charges against him,” the statement read.
It further said, “The authorities should listen to critics instead of seeking to gag them through outright abuse of power. Nigerian authorities must allow Sowore to freely exercise his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
The group also recalled Sowore’s previous arrests and legal battles since 2019, when he was first detained and declared a Prisoner of Conscience by the organisation.
The latest detention has sparked protests in parts of the country and revived trending hashtags such as #FreeSoworeNow and #RevolutionNow on social media.
Sowore had earlier joined protesters outside a court in Abuja, where placards calling for the resignation of Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun were displayed.
