Amnesty International Nigeria (AIN) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, labelling the charges against him as “bogus” and “politically motivated.”
The rights group issued a strongly worded statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday night, condemning Sowore’s detention by the Nigerian Police Force as arbitrary and a continuation of a longstanding pattern of harassment and intimidation against him.
Sowore had appeared at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday to honour a police invitation from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit. He is currently under investigation for alleged forgery and inciting public disturbance.
Responding to his detention, Amnesty International said: “The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and drop all bogus and politically motivated charges against him. The authorities should listen to critics instead of seeking to gag them through outright abuse of power.”
The organisation further emphasised Sowore’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, pointing out that his continued prosecution and repeated detentions reflect a broader attempt by the state to silence peaceful dissent.
The global human rights watchdog also reminded the public that Sowore was declared a Prisoner of Conscience in November 2019, following his initial detention over the #RevolutionNow movement.
“Apart from putting him through sham trials based on bogus charges, Sowore has been subjected to a series of human rights violations,” the group noted.
Sowore’s arrest triggered public outrage and renewed protests in parts of the country. Hashtags such as #FreeSoworeNow and #RevolutionNow have trended across social media platforms, with demonstrators rallying under the banner “Egbetokun Must Go” outside the Abuja court premises.
Observers noted that the current developments raise fresh concerns over the Nigerian government’s human rights record and its tolerance for dissenting voices.
Neither the Police Force nor the Ministry of Justice has issued an official response to Amnesty International’s statement at the time of filing this report.
