The Take-It-Back Movement has petitioned the United States Embassy in Nigeria, demanding a visa ban on Senator Ned Nwoko and his wife, Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, over human rights violations and abuse of public office.
The petition, dated July 4, 2025, and signed by the Take It Back Movement Coordinator, Abuja branch, Andrew O. Moses, was addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr.
In the letter, Senator Nwoko is accused of consistently weaponising his political office, wealth, and influence to harass critics, suppress dissent, and violate the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens.
The senator’s actions were described as a “blatant disregard for democracy and the rule of law”. Andrew calls for urgent international action to check the growing culture of impunity in Nigeria.
“We, the Take-It-Back Movement FCT Abuja Branch, submit this petition with utmost gravity and concern, urging the imposition of a visa ban on Senator Prince Ned Nwoko and his wife, Regina Daniels Nwoko,” the petition reads. “Their heinous human rights abuses and blatant disregard for democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria have reached alarming proportions.”
Among the incidents cited in the petition is the 2022 arrest and detention of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who was taken to the now-defunct SARS facility known as “Abattoir” in Abuja.
According to the petition, Sowore was assaulted and unlawfully detained for speaking out against Senator Nwoko’s misconduct. The arrest is described as “an egregious act” that showed the senator’s “brazen disregard for human rights.”
Also referenced is the March 2022 arrest of human rights lawyer, Barrister Marshal Abubakar, who was detained in retaliation for filing legal action against Senator Nwoko and the Nigeria Police over Sowore’s arrest. Abubakar, who spent over a week in detention, was only released after a public outcry led by the Nigerian Bar Association and civil society organisations.
It is stated in the petition that his arrest exposed the “depth of collusion between powerful individuals and security agencies in suppressing freedoms in Nigeria.”
Further allegations against Nwoko include the “brazen land grabbing” in Delta State, during which several residents were arrested and detained for resisting the senator’s actions.
In one documented case, a woman was seen in a viral video begging for the release of her father, who had been arrested during a land dispute involving Nwoko. The petition revealed that these incidents reflect a troubling pattern of using state power to silence community resistance and criminalise opposition.
The petition also drew attention to the ongoing detention of TikTok creator Tuma Gabriel, who is currently held at Keffi Prison in Nasarawa State for allegedly criticising the senator and his wife online.
Gabriel had earlier spent 50 days in detention over similar accusations, which his lawyer described as baseless and a clear abuse of process. Despite protests in court, the Magistrate ordered his remand at the request of a police prosecutor working closely with the senator.
The Take It Back Movement, Abuja Chapter then argued that the continued harassment, arrest, and intimidation of citizens and activists by Senator Nwoko is not only unlawful but dangerous to the country’s fragile democracy. “By imposing a visa ban, the United States would be sending a strong message to abusers of power across Nigeria that the international community is watching and will not remain silent in the face of tyranny,” the petition stated.
Senator Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, has been the subject of growing criticism from activists and civil society organisations for his misuse of state resources and security agencies to pursue personal vendettas.
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