Global human rights organization Amnesty International has strongly condemned the plans of President Bola Tinubu’s Nigerian government to arrest human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore upon his return to the country.
Designated as Amnesty International’s Prisoner of Conscience, Omoyele Sowore is being targeted for his role in mobilizing millions of Nigerians during the #EndBadGovernance protests held in early August. Sowore’s support for peaceful demonstrations has led to the Nigerian government’s plans to arrest him upon his return to the country.
Amnesty International has condemned these plans, stating that the alleged arrest would be an arbitrary restriction and a violation of Sowore’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and movement.
The organization also called for an immediate end to the ongoing prosecution and detention of numerous protesters by the Nigerian government. The organization demands that the authorities release all those detained for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
The statement reads: “Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the alleged reports of plans by the Nigerian authorities to arrest human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore whenever he returns to Nigeria.
“Omoyele Sowore is targeted simply for peacefully exercising his human rights. The government of President Bola Tinubu must publicly commit to allow Sowore and other Nigerians to freely exercise their constitutionally and internationally recognid human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and movement.
“Omoyele Sowore is Amnesty International’s Prisoner Of Conscience.
“The alleged plans to arrest Omoyele Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria would amount to arbitrary restrictions which would have a chilling effect on the exercise by Nigerians of their human rights and discourage the public from criticizing the authorities.
“Under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, both of which Nigeria has ratified, everyone has the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and movement.
“Nigerian authorities should guarantee and ensure the human rights of Omoyele Sowore whenever he returns to the country and other human rights defenders, activists and journalists.
“Authorities should end the weaponisation of security agents to harass, intimidate and abuse critics, human rights, activists, journalists, and whistleblowers, and uphold the human rights of everyone in the country.
“The alleged threat to arrest Omoyele Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria followed the escalating crackdown on human rights, peaceful dissent and media freedom in the country.
“Last week, Nigeria’s Department of State Services arbitrarily arrested NLC President Joe Ajaero and invaded the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project barely 24 hours after the organisation urged Tinubu to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to promptly reverse the hike in the pump price of petrol and to probe allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC.”
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