By Ayomide Otitoju
Human rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, was arrested by police operatives at the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after a scheduled court appearance on Thursday, October 23.
Eyewitnesses said Sowore was apprehended moments after leaving the courtroom on the orders of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police.
The activist had attended court for a hearing before Justice Emeka Nwite over what he described as a “bogus and farcical” forgery charge involving a police wireless message — a case he claimed was instituted under the directive of the “illegal Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.”
Court proceedings, however, did not hold as the presiding judge was unavailable. As Sowore prepared to depart, a police officer reportedly approached him and informed him of his arrest.
His legal counsel, led by Tope Temokun, confronted the officers and demanded clarification, but the police insisted they were acting on “direct instruction” before whisking him away in a waiting vehicle.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has remained a prominent critic of government corruption and abuse of power. He has faced multiple arrests and prosecutions since 2019 for his pro-democracy activism.
