The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have called for the immediate and unconditional release of rights activist Omoyele Sowore, condemning his continued detention as an abuse of power.
In a statement on Thursday, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, criticised the frequent arrest and prolonged detention of Sowore, describing the latest incident as unacceptable, especially given allegations that he sustained injuries during his arrest.
“We strongly condemn the frequent arrest and long spells in detention of Sowore, a renowned civil rights activist. It is all the more unacceptable if he was injured in the course of his arrest, as it is being alleged,” Ajaero said.
He urged the government to pursue legal options rather than resorting to harassment, warning that the repeated targeting of Sowore undermines constitutional rights to free speech and association.
“Freedom of speech and freedom of association are some of the inalienable rights guaranteed by our constitution, and it is only fit and proper that the government is seen to respect these citizen rights,” he added.
“Silence in the face of such repression is complicity. If the state can arbitrarily detain Sowore today, no journalist, no trade unionist, no activist, and no ordinary citizen is safe tomorrow.”
The NLC cautioned that Nigeria must not slip back into the “dark days of dictatorship,” stressing that the government should uphold the law at all times and avoid actions that tarnish its image before citizens and the international community.
Similarly, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), denounced Sowore’s treatment at the hands of the IGP Monitoring Team.
“The treatment of Omoyele Sowore by the IGP Monitoring Team is a shameful abuse of power. It is wrong, unlawful, and must be condemned by all who believe in justice,” Atiku stated.
“Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. For that, he was reportedly attacked at dawn, beaten, had his arm broken, and sprayed with chemicals by policemen acting on petitions from the IGP’s own office. This is a personal vendetta, not policing.”
Atiku also cited Regulation 367 of the Nigeria Police Regulation, which forbids police officers from instituting legal proceedings in their personal interest. He criticised Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for allegedly acting as both complainant and enforcer, warning that the case was not just about Sowore but about protecting the rights of all Nigerians who speak truth to power.
Both the NLC and Atiku insisted on Sowore’s immediate and unconditional release..
