Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Sowore, who had been with his family in the United States, was detained shortly after landing in Nigeria on Sunday, following months of heightened tension surrounding his activism.
Sowore, also the founder of SaharaReporters, arrived from Washington Dulles International Airport at 9:43 a.m. (WAT) to a group of supporters from the Take It Back Movement who had gathered in anticipation of his return. However, his arrival was swiftly followed by his arrest, reportedly based on a directive issued by the DSS.
Earlier reports from SaharaReporters had hinted at this outcome, revealing a leaked memo from the DSS that ordered the arrest of Sowore upon entry into the country.
The memo, signed by officials under the newly appointed DSS Director General, Adeola Ajayi, cited Sowore’s role in the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, which spanned 10 days and garnered significant attention across Nigeria.
Despite the DSS’s swift move, Sowore had remained defiant. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account just days before his arrest, he condemned the DSS for targeting him while, according to him, failing to address more critical national issues such as terrorism, banditry, and corruption. “The government can’t catch terrorists, but they have time to put me on their watchlist,” he wrote, accusing the Tinubu administration of diverting attention from Nigeria’s real problems.
The DSS had circulated a directive across airport security and immigration personnel instructing them to detain Sowore immediately upon his return. According to sources, this directive was linked not only to his role in the #EndBadGovernance protests but also his planned October 1 demonstration, aimed at calling for reforms and accountability from the government.
Sowore’s arrest has sparked outrage among activists and supporters, with many accusing the government of trying to silence dissent. Speaking in a recent interview, Sowore had revealed that he was aware of his potential detention, but remained resolute in his mission. “They can arrest me, but that won’t stop me from fighting for a better Nigeria,” he said.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has a long history of clashing with Nigerian authorities over his activism, particularly with his calls for systemic change and public protests against bad governance. His supporters, alongside civil rights groups, are now rallying for his immediate release, calling the arrest politically motivated.
As of press time, the DSS had not issued an official statement on the arrest. However, sources at the airport confirmed that Sowore was taken into custody and transferred to the DSS headquarters in Abuja for questioning.
Sowore’s detention adds to the growing concerns about the state of freedom of expression and the government’s handling of political opposition in Nigeria, with critics warning that such actions could further inflame tensions in an already fragile socio-political landscape.