Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who was arrested in Abuja.
According to reports, Sowore was picked up by security operatives at the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after meeting with the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Arrest Follows #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest
Sowore had earlier mobilised a nationwide protest tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow on October 20, demanding the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, however, turned chaotic when security agents disrupted the demonstration, firing teargas to disperse the crowd.
During the incident, several protesters, including Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, and his brother, Emmanuel Kanu, were arrested alongside about 11 others.
Sowore narrowly escaped the scene but was later arrested on October 23 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Atiku Reacts: “Democracy Cannot Coexist with Tyranny”
Reacting to the development, Atiku took to his X (formerly Twitter) page to express disappointment over the incident, describing it as a “new low” for Nigeria’s democracy.
He wrote: “I have just been informed of the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, @YeleSowore, by the Nigeria Police, as well as the arrest of several other citizens who were peacefully protesting in different parts of the country.
“I am shocked and disappointed, but not surprised. Shocked that in 2025, decades after we defeated military rule, this government still treats dissent as a crime.
“Disappointed because those in power today once thrived on protests. But not surprised, for Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him.
“Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law.
“The arrest of other peaceful protesters across the country only deepens the stain. Protest is not a crime; it is a constitutional right.
“I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices. Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny. -AA”.
Growing Calls for Sowore’s Release
Atiku’s statement adds to growing public outrage and calls from civil rights groups demanding Sowore’s release.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) earlier urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the activist’s freedom and respect citizens’ rights to peaceful protest.
The incident has further fuelled debate over the government’s handling of dissent and the shrinking civic space in Nigeria, with many describing Sowore’s arrest as a test of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to democratic values and the rule of law.