Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has condemned the arrest and continued detention of Sahara Reporters publisher and activist, Omoyele Sowore, describing the move as a “miscarriage of justice and an abuse of state power.”
In a statement posted via his verified X handle on Wednesday, Obi said he was “deeply disturbed” by reports that Sowore was arrested shortly after voluntarily honouring an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force.
“At the time of writing, no clear or credible charges have been made public, which further casts a troubling shadow over the nature and motivation behind his detention,” Obi wrote.
He described the action of the police as unjust and uncalled for, especially when the individual in question had willingly presented himself.
“His arrest, particularly under circumstances where he presented himself in good faith to law enforcement, should be condemned by all who value justice and due process. From all indications, no urgency or criminal flight risk warranted such high-handed treatment,” Obi noted.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that detaining a citizen without disclosing lawful charges goes against democratic principles and the rule of law.
“To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power,” he said.
Quoting the Greek philosopher Plato, Obi added, “Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens. When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but the moral conscience of the nation.”
He therefore called on the Nigerian Police to “immediately release Omoyele Sowore or charge him formally under the law.”
“Anything short of this,” Obi warned, “would be a further erosion of public trust in the nation’s law enforcement institutions.”
Obi emphasized that justice and the rule of law must not be selective or partisan, saying, “It is our collective duty to insist that the rule of law must apply to all citizens — regardless of ideology, background, or political alignment.”
