Amnesty International, lawyers condemn Sowore’s detention by police

Amnesty International and some Nigerian lawyers have condemned the detention of Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, describing it as unlawful and politically motivated.

Mr Sowore, a former presidential candidate, was detained on Wednesday after honouring a police invitation by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters in Abuja. The invitation followed allegations of forgery and criminal defamation.

The police have yet to provide details of the allegations despite Mr Sowore’s request before honouring the invitation. But they appeared to have dropped an incitement allegation contained in the initial invitation letter that was withdrawn and reissued following the activist’s protest.

In response to his detention, Amnesty International issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the action as arbitrary and a violation of Sowore’s human rights.

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“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore, who has been facing ongoing harassment and intimidation by the Nigerian Police,” the statement read.

“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and drop all bogus and politically motivated charges. Authorities should listen to critics instead of seeking to gag them through outright abuse of power.”

The rights group recalled that it had designated Mr Sowore a Prisoner of Conscience in 2019 after his prolonged detention for peaceful activism.

It said his continued targeting exemplified how far Nigerian authorities were willing to go to silence dissent.

As of the time of this report, Mr Sowore remained in police custody. His legal team is reportedly taking steps to secure his release.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Sowore had raised concerns over the legality of the initial police summons. Through his lawyer, Tope Temokun, he demanded a reissued invitation that included a proper legal basis and prior disclosure of the petition against him.

The police responded in a letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES, agreeing to reschedule the interview for 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday and promising to provide a copy of the petition when Mr Sowore arrived at the Force Headquarters. The letter, signed by the IGP Monitoring Unit, concluded with a warning to the legal team to “be properly guided.”

Following the response, Mr Sowore confirmed on his verified Facebook page that he would honour the rescheduled invitation.

He also called on “freedom fighters, citizens of conscience, and voices of resistance” to accompany him to the police headquarters.

“IGP Monitoring Unit summons tomorrow at 11 a.m. They’ve refused to disclose the petition, confirming their intention to operate in darkness. Still, I’ll honour the invitation—but not alone,” he wrote.

“Let every freedom fighter, every citizen of conscience, every voice of resistance assemble early tomorrow at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja. #RevolutionNow #EgbetokunMustGo.”

However, following his appearance at the Force Headquarters on Wednesday, Mr Sowore was detained.

A post on his Facebook page, now being managed by an associate, revealed that Mr Sowore was interrogated by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, a former Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officer, who presented two petitions against him.

“The notorious former SARS officer, DCP Akin Fakorede, presented two petitions: one alleging forgery and the other from Bukola Yemisi Kuti, who was reportedly promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police due to a personal relationship. The latter petition alleges criminal defamation,” the post stated.

Others criticise arrest

Some lawyers also criticised the police action, citing constitutional breaches and abuse of power.

Abbas Ochogwu, a legal practitioner, argued on a post on Facebook that the police violated the principle of natural justice.

“The police cannot be both the complainant and the investigator. That’s a clear breach of due process. If DCP Akin Fakorede is acting on petitions from questionable sources, including one allegedly linked to an improper relationship, then the entire process is already compromised,” he said. “This reeks of abuse of power and must be challenged under the law.”

Another lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, referenced relevant legal authorities to denounce the police action.

“The Police Act 2020 and Regulation 367 of the Nigeria Police Regulations forbid officers from using their positions to settle personal scores. Based on Omega Bank Plc v. Ekiti State (2007) 16 NWLR (Pt 1061) 445, the petitions grounding Sowore’s invitation are a reckless abuse of power and a fundamental violation of due process. The IGP and his alleged mistress cannot be the complainants and investigators in the same case. The detention of Sowore is unlawful and a gross affront to justice,” Mr Abubakar said.

Hamza Dantani, another lawyer, added in his reaction, “This is the worst IGP in the entire history of this country!”