Dare Babalola
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has reportedly been arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
The development was made public by lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, in a post via his social media pages on Thursday.
Sowore was arrested in court while attending the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Adeyanju wrote, “BREAKING: Omoyele Sowore just arrested at the Federal High Court by the Nigerian police. When will the Nigerian police stop acting jobless?”
Sowore was in court to show solidarity with Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges.
Earlier, Sowore, a prominent Nigerian activist, led a protest in Abuja demanding the release of Kanu. The protest, which took place on a Monday, saw Sowore and other demonstrators marching to the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa, calling for Kanu’s unconditional release.
Sowore, who was flanked by Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and other supporters, alleged that the Nigerian government was persecuting Kanu and violating his fundamental human rights. The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “#FreeNnamdiKanuNow” and “#StopPersecutingNnamdiKanu”, as they demanded justice for the IPOB leader.
The protest was however, met with resistance from security operatives, who arrested Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and several other protesters. Sowore has since accused the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of orchestrating the arrests, describing it as an attempt to silence him and stifle dissenting voices in Nigeria.
