Police arrest Omoyele Sowore at Abuja court after solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, has been taken into custody by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

Sowore, a prominent human rights activist, was apprehended by armed police officers on Thursday within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The arrest occurred shortly after he had shown support for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Confirming the incident, Force Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin stated that Sowore is in police custody and will be charged to court today.

Hundeyin explained that the arrest was made because Sowore allegedly violated a court order banning protests in the Three Arms Zone of Abuja.

The development has drawn sharp criticism. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong condemned the arrest, calling it “preposterous.”

In a post on social media, Effiong accused the police and the Tinubu administration of “making a mockery of our judicial system” and demanded Sowore’s immediate release.

This arrest follows Sowore’s involvement in leading a #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja on Monday. That earlier demonstration resulted in the arrest and subsequent remand in Kuje Prison of Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, his brother, Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others.

A Magistrate Court in Kuje ordered their remand on Tuesday after the police charged them with inciting public disturbance and breach of peace.

The charges are that the protesters obstructed traffic, restricted free movement, and chanted war songs.

Sowore has previously accused security forces of launching an unprovoked attack on the peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters, claiming they opened fire shortly after the rally began.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts