International human rights organization Amnesty International has issued a strong condemnation of the detention of prominent Nigerian activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, characterizing his arrest as an arbitrary and politically motivated attack on fundamental human rights.
The organization made the declaration through an official statement released on its social media platform late Wednesday, demanding that Nigerian authorities immediately release Sowore without preconditions and cease what it described as systematic harassment of government critics through legal intimidation.
Sowore presented himself at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday following a police invitation, where he was subsequently detained by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit. The unit is investigating the activist on allegations of forgery and inciting public disturbance, charges that Amnesty International has dismissed as fabricated and politically orchestrated.
The human rights watchdog accused Nigerian police of deliberately weaponizing the judicial system to suppress dissenting voices and silence critics of government policies. In their statement, Amnesty emphasized that authorities should engage constructively with critics rather than attempting to silence them through what they termed “outright abuse of power.”
The organization highlighted Sowore’s long history of persecution, noting that he has faced repeated judicial harassment and human rights violations since 2019. Amnesty International had previously designated Sowore as a “Prisoner of Conscience” during his initial detention in 2019, a classification reserved for individuals imprisoned solely for their peaceful exercise of fundamental rights.
According to Amnesty, Sowore’s case represents a broader pattern of systematic suppression of peaceful dissent across Nigeria, demonstrating the lengths to which authorities will go to eliminate opposition voices. The organization stressed that Nigerian authorities must respect and protect Sowore’s constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The detention has triggered widespread public outcry across social media platforms, with hashtags including #FreeSoworeNow and #RevolutionNow gaining significant traction online. Civil rights organizations and advocacy groups have rallied behind calls for his immediate release, joining Amnesty International in condemning what they perceive as the criminalization of free speech and peaceful activism.
Nigerian police authorities have not issued any official response to Amnesty International’s statement or the growing public pressure for Sowore’s release at the time of this report.
