BREAKING: Police Arrest Omoyele Sowore in Abuja After Court Appearance
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was arrested by police officers in Abuja on Thursday, shortly after leaving the Federal High Court.
According to SaharaReporters, the arrest was carried out on the orders of the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Sowore had been scheduled to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite in a case he described as a “bogus and farcical” charge of alleged forgery of a police wireless message — a case reportedly filed under the direction of what he termed the “illegal Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.” Upon arrival, however, he was informed that the judge would not be sitting.
Shortly after leaving the court premises, a police officer approached Sowore and informed him of his arrest, citing instructions from the FCT Police Commissioner. Members of his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, confronted the officers and demanded an explanation. The police, however, maintained that they were acting on direct orders and escorted Sowore into a waiting vehicle.
Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, is a long-time critic of government policies and corruption. Since 2019, he has faced multiple arrests and court cases linked to his activism and pro-democracy campaigns.