Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore has arrived at the Force Intelligence Department Headquarters in Abuja on Monday morning, following the summons he received from the police.
Sowore, who arrived at 9:58 am, was invited following a viral video he shared, alleging extortion by policemen at a checkpoint in Lagos.
Consequently, the police cited multiple allegations against him, including resisting arrest and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking and acts allegedly aimed at preventing arrests.
The invitation letter, signed by the Force Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force, outlined the allegations and requested his presence at their Abuja office for an interview with the Deputy Inspector General of Police.
In response to the summons, the Take It Back Movement, a group supporting Sowore, called for a protest against police extortion under the banner “Occupy Force Headquarters.”
A flier featuring images of Sowore and the Inspector General of Police gained significant traction on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
By early Monday morning, heavily armed officers and anti-riot units had barricaded roads leading to the Force Headquarters as a precaution against the planned demonstration.
As of the time of filing this report, Sowore remains at the Force Intelligence Department for questioning. The atmosphere outside the Force Headquarters is described as tense but under control, with security forces maintaining a visible presence.
Sowore was a President of the Student Union Government (SUG) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he cut his activism teeth.
He was severally detained and almost lost his life during the ‘Aluta Continua’ days.
The activist later founded a now popular online paper, Sahara Reporters, and had been at the forefront of advocacy against bad government policies, most notably the recent #EndSARS protest and #EndBadGovernance demonstration.
