By Nnabuenyi Jnr Kaitochukwu
Omoyele Sowore, the human rights activist and 2023 African Action Congress presidential candidate, was released from police custody in Abuja on August 8, 2025, after being detained for several days. The Nigeria Police Force, through Commissioner Abayomi Shogunle of the Special Intervention Squad, stated that Sowore was held due to his refusal to provide a statement during interrogation over two petitions: one alleging forgery of a police document published online and another for cyberbullying. Sowore, invited for questioning over his exposé on alleged police extortion in Lagos, rejected bail conditions he deemed “illegal,” including reportedly producing a level 16 civil servant as surety and surrendering his passport, leading to his indefinite detention until his release.
The constitutionality of Sowore’s detention raises serious concerns. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandates that detainees be brought before a court within 24 hours or 48 hours. Shogunle claimed the police acted within legal bounds, citing Sowore’s refusal to cooperate, but this justification falters against constitutional protections against arbitrary detention. No court order was publicly disclosed to authorize his prolonged custody, and reports from Sahara Reporters suggest he was denied access to legal counsel during an attempted transfer, further undermining due process. Past incidents, like Sowore’s 2019 detention for 45 days without trial on charges of treason and cyberstalking, ignored a court’s bail order, indicating a pattern of state overreach.
The allegations of forgery and cyberbullying appear flimsy and politically motivated as this is not Sowore’s first brush with detention. His 2019 and 2021 arrests, both tied to his activism, reflect a recurring strategy to suppress his voice, often under vague charges like “insulting the president” or “cyberstalking.” Sowore’s activism, including his #RevolutionNow movement and recent protests for retired police officers’ welfare, has consistently challenged government authority. The absence of a court order, coupled with the police’s disregard for constitutional timelines, renders this latest detention unlawful and politically driven. While Shogunle’s offer to show protesters Sowore’s detention conditions aimed to counter claims of mistreatment, it does little to justify the procedural violations.
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