Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the police for leading a protest demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Atiku described Sowore’s arrest as tyrannical, saying it was yet another indication of the government’s growing intolerance for opposing views.
“I have just been informed of the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, as well as the arrest of several other citizens who were peacefully protesting in different parts of the country.
“I am shocked and disappointed, but not surprised. Shocked that in 2025, decades after we defeated military rule, this government still treats dissent as a crime.
“Those in power today once thrived on protests. But Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him,” he said.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further stated that Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom amounted to an open assault on democracy, stressing that peaceful protest remains a constitutional right.
“I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices. Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny,” he added.
