BREAKING: Nigerian Activist Omoyele Sowore Arrested at Federal Court in Abuja.

ABUJA, Nigeria (FN) — Nigerian activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore was arrested Thursday by armed police officers at the Federal High Court in Abuja, shortly after attending a hearing in support of detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Sowore, a prominent voice in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement and a former presidential candidate, was taken into custody without a formal charge. Officers on the scene said they were acting on orders from the Commissioner of Police and insisted he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

“There was no letter of invitation,” Sowore reportedly told officers, demanding that his lawyer be present before he was placed in a police van and driven away.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong condemned the arrest, calling it “preposterous” and accusing the Tinubu administration of undermining the judiciary. “The police and the Tinubu regime are making a mockery of our judicial system,” Effiong wrote on social media. “He should be freed immediately. Stop the shenanigans.”

Other activists and public figures have also weighed in:

• Aisha Yesufu, co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, tweeted: “This is not law enforcement. This is intimidation. Sowore’s arrest is a warning to every Nigerian who dares to speak out.”
• Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director of Enough is Enough Nigeria, stated: “The arrest of peaceful observers at a court premises is unlawful and sends a chilling message to civil society.”
• Deji Adeyanju, convener of Concerned Nigerians, said: “This is a clear abuse of power. The government is using the police to harass critics and suppress dissent.”
• Senator Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker and rights advocate, posted: “Arresting Sowore at a court where he came to show solidarity is a tragic irony. Democracy is being bruised.”
• Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh, responding to media inquiries, said: “Mr. Sowore was invited for questioning in connection with recent activities that may have implications for public order. The process is being handled lawfully.”

Sowore’s arrest follows his participation in a protest earlier in the week as part of the #FreeNnamdiKanu campaign, which has gained traction across Nigeria. The demonstration in Abuja on October 20 led to the arrest of Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, his brother Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others, who were later remanded at Kuje Prison.

According to a First Information Report filed at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kuje, the police allege that the protesters defied a court order, chanted war songs, and disrupted traffic. The report accuses them of criminal conspiracy, incitement, and breach of public peace — offences punishable under Nigeria’s Penal Code.

Authorities claim the protest posed a threat to national security, as it called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is currently on trial at the Federal High Court.

The arrests have sparked renewed concerns over freedom of expression and assembly in Nigeria, with civil society groups warning of escalating crackdowns on dissent and the shrinking space for peaceful protest.