Supporters of Omoyele Sowore plan protests after police detained him in Abuja on Wednesday.
They say his arrest is unfair and meant to stop him from speaking against government.
Supporters of Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and Convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, have threatened mass protests across Nigeria following his detention by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja on Wednesday.
Sowore was taken into custody after honoring an invitation from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit. He is under investigation for alleged forgery and incitement of public unrest. He arrived at the Force Headquarters with a group of loyal supporters, some of whom staged a demonstration outside the premises.
Juwon Sanyaolu, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back (TIB) movement, confirmed that the police had obtained a court order to detain Sowore. He described the development as an act of political persecution aimed at silencing dissenting voices.
In a statement to journalists, Sanyaolu criticized the police for allegedly withholding both the identity of the petitioner and the content of the petition from Sowore. He condemned what he called a misuse of state power to stifle opposition.
“We are putting students, workers, activists, and all well-meaning Nigerians on alert. If this continues, we will begin nationwide actions and occupy police formations across the country until Sowore is freed,” he warned.
Femi Adeyeye, National Publicity Secretary of the African Action Congress (AAC), echoed the call for resistance, saying the use of security agencies to target Sowore would not be tolerated. “Justice must prevail,” he added.
Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, was earlier told that the contents of the petition would only be disclosed during a session with Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, who heads the IGP Monitoring Unit.
Though the specifics of that session remain unclear, videos circulating online captured demonstrators chanting and expressing outrage outside the police facility.
The incident has also drawn criticism from public figures. Prince Adewole Adebayo, a former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, warned the police against using their authority to intimidate government critics.
In a post on X.com (@Pres_Adebayo), he wrote, “The police are a constitutional body and must be held accountable. Using law enforcement to suppress civil liberties is unacceptable.”
He also questioned the police’s priorities amid widespread insecurity. “At a time when security challenges are rampant, diverting resources to detain a political opponent is a gross misplacement of focus,” he said.
