Nigeria: NLC, Atiku Ask Police to Release Sowore

8 August 2025
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Idowu Isamotu & Baba Martins

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday, slammed authorities of the Nigeria Police Force over continued detention of the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore.

While condemning the arrest of the human rights activist, the NLC also said it would not allow Nigeria to slide back into the dark days of dictatorship, where fear replaces freedom and dissent is met with brute force.

It demanded his immediate and unconditional release, an end to the harassment and intimidation of activists and all voices of dissent, full adherence to the rule of law and constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly.

The congress said it stood in solidarity with all victims of repression and reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights of the working class and the oppressed, stressing that "Nigeria should not descend into a police state. Strengthened Justice and Democracy is good for all!"

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Daily Trust had reported that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, on Wednesday quizzed and detained Sowore after he arrived at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to honour the police invitation. The police, through the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, was investigating Sowore over what it described as "forgery and inciting disturbance."

The police, in a letter addressed to Sowore's lawyer, Tope Temokun, on Tuesday, noted that details of the petition against his client would be provided upon Sowore's arrival at Force Headquarters.

Reacting to his detention via a statement on Thursday, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, wondered why the police could not explore legal options instead of "unending" arrest of the renowned activist.

Ajaero noted that the freedom of speech and freedom of association are some of inalienable rights guaranteed by the constitution, saying it is only fit and proper that the government is seen to respect these citizen-rights.

Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the arrest of Sowore by the authorities of the Nigerian police and demanded that he should be released immediately.

Atiku in a post on his social media handles said the Inspector General of Police, IGP "cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance."

Read the original article on Daily Trust.

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