POLICE ASSAULT ON OMOYELE SOWORE AT KUJE MAGISTRATE COURT: AN ATTACK ON THE JUDICIARY, THE RULE OF LAW, AND THE RIGHT TO DISSENT

PRESS STATEMENT

24 OCTOBER 2025

POLICE ASSAULT ON OMOYELE SOWORE AT KUJE MAGISTRATE COURT: AN ATTACK ON THE JUDICIARY, THE RULE OF LAW, AND THE RIGHT TO DISSENT

The Take It Back Movement condemns in the strongest possible terms the brutal and unlawful assault on human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, that occurred on Friday, 24th October 2025, outside the Kuje Magistrate Court, Abuja.

According to eyewitness accounts and reports from the court premises, the assault was carried out by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, OC Anti-Vice, DC-CID, FCT Command—acting under the directive of the illegally appointed Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Mr. Sowore had just been granted bail by the Magistrate Court, alongside thirteen (13) other peaceful protesters who had gathered to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu. While his legal team was still perfecting bail conditions, police officers pounced on him, punched and dragged him to the ground, and forcefully threw him into a waiting van. Lawyers who attempted to intervene were also assaulted. When asked to produce a remand order, the officers refused, claiming they were acting on a “secret order.”

This is not merely an assault on one individual—it is a direct affront to the independence of the judiciary, the sanctity of court orders, and the constitutional rights of every Nigerian to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and access to justice. It is a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy and emboldens impunity.

We issue this unequivocal warning to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, IGP Egbetokun, and the Federal Government of Nigeria:

• Any harm that comes to Omoyele Sowore will be laid squarely at your feet.
• You will be held accountable—legally, morally, and historically—for any further violations against him or any other peaceful advocate for justice.
• The world is watching. The people are mobilizing. The era of impunity is over.

We demand the following:

1. Immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore.
2. Immediate suspension of CSP Ilyasu Barau and all officers involved pending a full and transparent investigation.
3. An independent investigation by the Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and credible civil society observers.
4. Prosecution and disciplinary action against all officers found culpable of assault, obstruction of justice, or subversion of the judicial process.
5. Protection of lawyers, journalists, and court users from intimidation and physical harm.
6. Immediate public disclosure of any documents or directives allegedly used to justify this illegal detention.
7. Medical attention and reparations for Sowore and others assaulted during this unlawful attack.

The rule of law is not a favour granted by the state—it is the foundation upon which the state itself rests. When court orders are disregarded and citizens are brutalised at the very premises of justice, the line between democracy and tyranny is erased.

The Take It Back Movement will not fold its arms while lawlessness is normalised. We will pursue every lawful avenue—legal, civic, and political—to ensure accountability, restore the rule of law, and protect the rights of citizens.

We are in close contact with Sowore’s legal team and human rights partners, and we are prepared to escalate lawful resistance if justice is not immediately served. If the demands outlined above are not met within a reasonable time, the Movement will convene peaceful nationwide vigils and demonstrations to remind those in power that Nigeria belongs to the people—not to those who weaponise the police to suppress truth and justice.

We call on the Nigerian Bar Association, human rights organisations, media, civil society, and the international community to rise in defence of justice and demand accountability for this disgraceful attack. The dignity of our judiciary, the safety of our citizens, and the credibility of our democracy depend on it.

The unlawful assault on Omoyele Sowore is a crime against justice. It must not stand. Those responsible must face the full weight of the law.

SIGNED:
Dr. Chidi Nwanyanwu
Director-General, Take It Back Movement Global