Prominent political figures have strongly condemned the arrest and reported mistreatment of former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigeria Police Force.
Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate and one of the declared aspirants for the 2027 elections, described the arrest as a “miscarriage of justice” and “an abuse of state power”.
Sowore was reportedly arrested on Thursday after voluntarily honouring an invitation from the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja.
According to multiple accounts, the activist was assaulted, had his arm broken, and was sprayed with chemicals by officers believed to be acting on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police’s Monitoring Team.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning, Obi expressed concern over the treatment of a citizen who presented himself to the authorities willingly.
“To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power,” Obi wrote.
He added that the action casts a “troubling shadow” over the motive behind the arrest, urging the authorities to release Sowore without delay.’
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“I am deeply disturbed by the actions of our law enforcement agencies. Anything short of his immediate release will further erode public trust in our institutions,” Obi stated.
In a similarly strong statement, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, also condemned Sowore’s treatment, calling it “a shameful abuse of power.”
“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,” he alleged.
Atiku further noted that the actions of the police suggest a personal vendetta rather than lawful policing.
“Even the Nigeria Police Regulation forbids this. Regulation 367 states: ‘No police officer shall institute any legal proceeding in his own personal interest or in connection with matters arising out of his public duties.’
The IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance. This is not about Sowore alone; it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power.”
Both Obi and AA called for Sowore’s immediate and unconditional release, warning that continued repression of dissent would only deepen mistrust in Nigeria’s law enforcement system and democracy itself.
