Protesters on Thursday gathered at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja, demanding the immediate release of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Dressed in black and carrying the Nigerian flag, the demonstrators chanted anti-government songs, insisting that Sowore’s detention was unlawful. They denied blocking any roads and accused an unnamed Assistant Commissioner of Police of attempting to intimidate them with a dog.
Sowore had arrived at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday to honour a police invitation over allegations of forgery and inciting disturbance. However, he was detained and, according to Amnesty International, was assaulted early Thursday by officers at the Force Intelligence Department. The rights group said his left hand was broken during an attempt to forcibly take him to court without his lawyer present, and that he was moved to an undisclosed location.
Amnesty International condemned the incident as a violation of human rights and due process, calling for Sowore’s unconditional release and the dropping of what it described as politically motivated charges.
Reacting, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, described the detention as a miscarriage of justice and an abuse of state power. He said there was no urgency or risk of flight that justified such high-handed treatment of a citizen who voluntarily honoured a police invitation. Obi urged the police to either release Sowore immediately or charge him formally in court, warning that anything less would further erode public trust in law enforcement and undermine the rule of law.
Sowore’s detention has also drawn condemnation from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and other rights advocates.
In Lagos, protesters vowed to continue demonstrations until he is freed. As of Thursday evening, police in both cities had yet to address the protesters.
