Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was on Monday arrested at the Federal High Court in Abuja, moments after attending proceedings in the ongoing trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who earlier led the #FreeNnamdiKanuProtest in the nation’s capital, was said to have narrowly escaped arrest when police operatives apprehended several demonstrators during the rally.
Following the incident, the activist took to social media to confirm the arrest of 13 protesters, including Nnamdi Kanu’s brother and lawyer, by security operatives.
The police had earlier issued a stern warning to those planning to stage demonstrations near certain restricted areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), cautioning that such gatherings would not be tolerated. However, Sowore insisted on exercising his constitutional rights, declaring that “it was his right to protest.”
A viral video on social media showed Sowore present at the Federal High Court, Abuja, earlier in the day for Kanu’s case. In a post made shortly before his arrest, he wrote:
“Today, I met with Kanu Agabi, the lead lawyer for Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court, and he disclosed that his team will be withdrawing from the case, leaving Nnamdi Kanu to continue his trial without representation. He was sure that it was completely political.”
Eyewitnesses said that as Sowore was leaving the court premises, a team of police officers approached and requested that he accompany them to the station. After some back and forth, the activist reportedly agreed and went with them.
Speaking on the arrest, one of Sowore’s close associates told Daily Trust that the Commissioner of Police in the FCT had earlier invited the activist for questioning.
“He was going to honour their invitation. It was in the itinerary. I wonder why they were so much in a hurry,” the associate, who preferred not to be named, stated.
The arrest has since sparked widespread criticism on social media, with many activists condemning what they described as “a clampdown on civic freedom and dissent.”
