ABUJA, Oct 23 (The African Portal) – The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore for allegedly leading protesters into a restricted area in Abuja, in violation of a court order.
Force spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin announced the arrest during a media briefing on Thursday in the capital.
“Sowore has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force. The reason is that the 13 people earlier arrested in connection with the ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ protest gave their statements, and each of them mentioned that Sowore led them into the restricted area in contravention of the court order,” Hundeyin said.
He added that it would be unfair to prosecute the protesters while leaving out the person they claimed led them.
“In the spirit of fair play, and to ensure that justice is served, Sowore was arrested today,” he said.
According to the police spokesman, Sowore would not be held for long. “Like the others, he will not spend up to 24 hours with the police. We plan to arraign him as soon as the charges are ready — possibly today,” Hundeyin added.
Earlier in the week, police arrested 13 people for allegedly violating a court order that restricted protests in parts of Abuja. Eight were detained near the Transcorp area and five near the Ministry of Finance.
Hundeyin said the protesters ignored repeated warnings against holding demonstrations within the restricted zones.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has been a vocal critic of government policies and has faced multiple arrests in recent years.
