Critics Slam Sowore’s Detention as a Political Move

The detention of activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, at Kuje Correctional Centre is facing backlash from civil society groups and political leaders. They argue that this situation shows a worrying pattern in how Nigeria treats dissenting voices.

This criticism came after a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Monday that Mr Sowore should be held while his application against the revocation of his bail is decided.

The court also rejected a request for the trial judge to step down over claims of bias.

In a statement on Tuesday, the #EndBadGovernance movement said the revocation of Mr Sowore’s bail and his ongoing detention are examples of what they call a political trial. The statement was signed by Hassan Taiwo and Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji. They demanded that all charges against Mr Sowore be dropped and that judicial harassment must stop.

The group also accused security officials of trying to arrest Mr Sowore inside the courtroom. They called this incident an attack on judicial authority and due process.

“The right and honorable thing is for such a judge to step aside. Justice is not possible when a judge’s fairness is clearly in question,” the statement said. They urged the National Judicial Council to look into the judge’s actions, saying that continuing to be involved in the case could hurt public trust in the judiciary.

Peter Obi also spoke out, describing Mr Sowore’s detention as a “dangerous regression for democracy.” He warned against the increasing trend of viewing dissent as a security threat.

He stated that Nigeria’s democracy will only thrive if basic rights, including free speech and peaceful gathering, are respected without exceptions. Mr Obi added that the growing economic hardship and insecurity already put pressure on citizens, and this should not be worsened by limiting civic freedoms.

“When we start to view citizen critics, activists, and journalists as threats to the state instead of partners in accountability, we edge closer to authoritarianism,” he noted.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project also condemned Mr Sowore’s detention. They argued that he is being held for expressing his views peacefully. The organization said this case points to a bigger issue of shrinking space for civic engagement in Nigeria and called for strict adherence to constitutional rights and due process.

Mr Sowore’s detention followed a ruling by Judge Mohammed Umar. The judge ordered Mr Sowore to be held after revoking his bail due to his alleged failure to show up for his trial.

The judge also issued a bench warrant for his arrest based on a request from the prosecution. The State Security Services (SSS) is prosecuting Mr Sowore for allegedly calling President Bola Tinubu “a criminal” in social media posts.

Tensions rose in the case after Mr Sowore repeatedly questioned the judge’s handling of the situation and asked for the judge to step down due to alleged bias, a request that the court denied.

The case has been postponed for a hearing on the motion to stay the execution of the bail revocation order.