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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate release of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who was arrested in Abuja.
Sowore was taken into custody by security officers at the Federal High Court in Abuja after meeting with detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
His arrest came just days after he organised a nationwide protest tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow on October 20, calling for Kanu’s unconditional release.
The protest was disrupted by security agents who used teargas to scatter demonstrators.
Several participants, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and his brother, Emmanuel Kanu, were detained alongside others. Sowore, who initially escaped, was later arrested at the court on October 23.
Reacting to the incident, Atiku, in a tweet, condemned Sowore’s arrest, describing it as a shameful attack on democracy and the rule of law.
He said the move shows the government’s growing intolerance toward opposing views.
He called on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and other detained protesters, stressing that citizens have the constitutional right to protest peacefully.
Atiku further warned that no democratic system can thrive under tyranny, adding that the recurring clampdown on dissent is dragging the nation backwards.
Atiku wrote: “I have just been informed of the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, @YeleSowore, by the Nigeria Police, as well as the arrest of several other citizens who were peacefully protesting in different parts of the country.
“I am shocked and disappointed, but not surprised. Shocked that in 2025, decades after we defeated military rule, this government still treats dissent as a crime.
“Disappointed because those in power today once thrived on protests. But not surprised, for Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him.
“Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law.
“The arrest of other peaceful protesters across the country only deepens the stain. Protest is not a crime; it is a constitutional right.
“I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices. Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny. -AA”.
