Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the arrest and continued detention of human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, describing the action as arbitrary and politically motivated. The organisation has called for his immediate and unconditional release.
Sowore was detained on Wednesday after arriving at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to honour a police invitation. The invitation followed an investigation by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit, which alleges that Sowore is being probed for forgery and inciting public disturbance.
In a statement issued late Wednesday on its official X account, Amnesty International criticised the detention as another instance of targeted harassment and intimidation by the Nigerian Police against peaceful critics and dissenters.
The organisation stated that Sowore’s arrest was based on what it described as bogus charges and called on authorities to respect his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It also accused the government of using the justice system to suppress critical voices.
“Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and drop all bogus and politically motivated charges against him,” the statement said. “Authorities should listen to critics instead of seeking to gag them through outright abuse of power.”
Amnesty International recalled that it had declared Sowore a Prisoner of Conscience in November 2019 following his earlier detention. The group noted that since 2019, he has faced multiple arbitrary detentions and what it described as unfair trials for exercising his rights.
The latest detention has sparked widespread criticism online, with hashtags such as #FreeSoworeNow and #RevolutionNow trending across social media platforms as calls for his release intensify.
