By Muhammad Mamman
Armed police officers on Thursday arrested human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, outside the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after he attended the trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Eyewitnesses reported that Sowore, who had arrived at the court to observe proceedings, was accosted by a team of heavily armed officers as he stepped out of the courtroom. The reasons for his arrest were not immediately clear, but his detention caused a brief commotion outside the court premises, drawing the attention of journalists and onlookers.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has been a prominent critic of government policies and a consistent advocate for civil liberties and democratic reforms in Nigeria.
Security presence around the court was noticeably heavy throughout the day, with officers stationed at strategic points amid heightened tension surrounding Kanu’s high-profile terrorism trial.
At the time of filing this report, police authorities had not issued any official statement regarding Sowore’s arrest or his current whereabouts.
His supporters have condemned the action, describing it as another attempt to intimidate dissenting voices and suppress civic activism in the country.
