Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was on Thursday arrested by armed police officers within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, had reportedly attended court to show solidarity with the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Nnamdi Kanu, before he was apprehended by security operatives.
Confirming the arrest, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said Sowore was taken into custody for allegedly violating an existing court order that bans protests around the Three Arms Zone in Abuja. He added that the activist would be charged to court later in the day.
The arrest comes days after Sowore led a #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in the Federal Capital Territory, during which several demonstrators, including Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, were detained. Sowore had earlier evaded arrest but later condemned the police crackdown on social media, accusing authorities of suppressing peaceful protest.
Reacting to the development, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong described Sowore’s arrest as “preposterous,” alleging that the government was turning the judiciary into “a stage for political intimidation.” Effiong, in a post on X, demanded the activist’s immediate release, saying: “The police and the Tinubu regime are making a mockery of our judicial system. Stop the shenanigans.”
Eyewitnesses said Sowore was leaving the Federal High Court after attending Kanu’s hearing when police officers intercepted him and asked that he accompany them to the station. After a brief exchange, he was taken away by the officers.
One of his associates revealed that Sowore had earlier been invited by the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police and was preparing to honour the invitation, describing his sudden arrest as “unnecessary and heavy-handed.”
Earlier in the week, a Magistrate’s Court in Kuje had ordered the remand of 12 protesters arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanu rally, including Kanu’s brother and lawyer, on charges of inciting public disturbance and obstructing traffic.
Sowore had also appeared on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, where he accused security operatives of using excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters at the rally, claiming officers fired live ammunition at the crowd near the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
As of the time of this report, Sowore remains in police custody while his legal team prepares to challenge his arrest.
