Sowore lambasts police after release from custody

Sowore

Human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, was on Friday night released by the police after spending over 48 hours in detention at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Sowore was detained on Wednesday after honouring an invitation by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The police had said they were investigating the activist based on two petitions bordering on alleged forgery of police documents and cyber bullying.

However, in a statement on Thursday, Sowore’s counsel, Tope Temokun, accused the police of subjecting his client to inhumane treatment while in custody.

Temokun alleged that the activist was moved from police custody to an undisclosed location in the early hours of Thursday under circumstances that resulted in physical injury.

However, in a Facebook post on Friday night, Sowore, said he had been released, describing his detention as “illegal and unjust.”

“The Nigeria Police Force has capitulated to the demands of the revolutionary movement. I have been released from unjust, illegal and unwarranted detention.

“However, it is nothing to celebrate, but thank you for not giving up!” he wrote.

While addressing a team of journalist at the police detention facility earlier on Friday, Sowore questioned the basis of his arrest and detention.

“There is no basis for my arrest in the first place. There is no basis for any citizen in Nigeria to be arrested by the IGP because the IGP feels threatened by the legality of opposition,” Sowore said in a live stream shared by Sahara Reporters on Facebook.

The activist accused the police of using the media to mislead the masses about his current condition, adding that contrary to the impression that he was doing fine in custody, his hand had been broken.