By Muhammad Mamman
Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has issued a blistering call for the Nigeria Police to either free Omoyele Sowore or promptly charge him in court. In a fiery statement on his X account on Friday, Obi slammed the police for detaining a citizen who willingly turned up for questioning, warning that such actions risk shattering public trust in state institutions.
The former Anambra State Governor expressed outrage over Sowore’s arrest, which occurred shortly after he voluntarily honoured a police invitation. “I’m deeply troubled by the detention of Mr Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) yesterday,” Obi declared. “No clear or credible charges have been disclosed, casting a dark shadow over the motives behind this move.”
Obi condemned the heavy-handed treatment, noting that Sowore’s good-faith cooperation with law enforcement warranted no such response. “Detaining a citizen who presented himself willingly, without transparent legal grounds, is a gross miscarriage of justice and an abuse of state power,” he stated. Quoting Plato, he added, “Justice in the state thrives only when it lives in the hearts of its citizens. Unjust actions by those in power poison both the legal order and the nation’s moral conscience.”
He demanded Sowore’s immediate release or formal charges, cautioning that anything less would further erode confidence in Nigeria’s law enforcement. “The rule of law must apply to all, regardless of ideology or political stance,” Obi insisted, urging collective action to uphold justice and accountability.
