Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, saying he was detained for allegedly leading protesters into a restricted area in Abuja in violation of a court order.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said this during a media conference on Thursday in Abuja.
“Sowore has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force, and the reason is that the 13 people that were arrested previously in connection to the ‘FreeNnamdiKanu’ protest gave their statements,” Hundeyin said.
“From the statements, every one of them mentioned that one Sowore led them into the restricted area in contravention of the court order. So it would be most unfair to charge some people to court and leave the person that led them to commit the offence. And that’s why, in the spirit of fair play, and to ensure that justice is served, Sowore was arrested today,” he added.
According to the police spokesman, Mr Sowore would be arraigned as soon as the police complete his charges.
“In fact, if everything goes right, our plan is to ensure that he’s arraigned today,” Mr Hundeyin said.
He explained that 13 suspects had earlier been arrested in connection to the protest for violating a court order restricting demonstrations in certain areas of Abuja.
He said eight of the suspects were arrested on Monday around the Transcorp area, while five others were picked up around the Ministry of Finance.
The suspects were arraigned in court within 24 hours, he added.
Sowore was arrested on Thursday morning by armed policemen within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after he appeared in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Security operatives reportedly told him that they were acting on the instruction of the Commissioner of Police, who directed that he be taken to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.
“The Commissioner of Police said we should bring you to the office,” one of the officers said.
Sowore asked to be accompanied by his lawyer before he was taken away in a police van.
Confirming the arrest on X, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong criticised the move, describing it as an attempt to undermine the judiciary.
Before his arrest, Sowore wrote on Facebook that he was at the Federal High Court with Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, who informed him that his legal team planned to withdraw from Kanu’s case.
Omoyele Sowore had on Monday, October 20, led a protest in Abuja as part of the #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstrations that spread to other parts of the country.
Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, his brother, Emmanuel Kanu and 10 others were earlier arrested during the protest and remanded at Kuje Prison.
According to the first information report filed before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kuje, the police alleged that the protesters chanted war songs and disrupted traffic in defiance of a court order restricting demonstrations in parts of Abuja.
They were accused of criminal conspiracy, incitement and breach of public peace, offences said to be punishable under Sections 152, 114 and 113 of the Penal Code Law.
