Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, was taken into police custody on Thursday shortly after attending a court session involving the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said the activist was intercepted by armed police officers as he exited the court premises. The officers reportedly informed Sowore that they were acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and requested that he accompany them to the Command headquarters.
When Sowore asked to see a formal letter of invitation, the officers allegedly insisted that he move with them. The activist, who requested that his lawyer be present, was subsequently escorted into a police vehicle and taken away.
Sowore, publisher of the online news platform Sahara Reporters, has been an active supporter of campaigns demanding Nnamdi Kanu’s release. He was among the organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanu protests held in Abuja and other cities earlier in the week.
During the demonstrations, twelve persons—including Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu, and one of his lawyers, Barrister Alloy Ejimakor—were arrested by security operatives. The group was later remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending trial.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police before the Chief Magistrate Court in Kuje, the protesters were accused of criminal conspiracy, incitement, and public disturbance. The report stated that the demonstrations were conducted in violation of a court order, disrupted vehicular movement, and involved the chanting of what authorities described as “war songs.”
The charges, which fall under Sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code, name twelve defendants. The court is expected to take their pleas on Friday.
It remains unclear whether the police intend to amend the charge to include Sowore among the defendants.
