Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the arrest and continued detention of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigeria Police Force, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice and an abuse of state power.”
In a statement released on Thursday, Obi expressed deep concern over the arrest, which occurred shortly after Sowore voluntarily honoured an invitation by the police.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr. Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) yesterday, shortly after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force,” Obi said. “At the time of writing, no clear or credible charges have been made public, which further casts a troubling shadow over the nature and motivation behind his detention.”
The former Anambra State governor said Sowore’s arrest should be condemned by anyone who values justice and due process, especially as the activist willingly presented himself to law enforcement.
“From all indications, no urgency or criminal flight risk warranted such high-handed treatment,” Obi stated.
He further decried the moral and legal implications of detaining a citizen under such circumstances. “To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power.”
Citing Plato, he added: “Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as it first resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens. When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but the moral conscience of the nation.”
Obi called on the authorities to either release Sowore or formally charge him: “I therefore call on the Nigerian Police to immediately release Omoyele Sowore or charge him formally under the law.”
He warned that anything short of that would further erode public trust in the country’s justice system. “It is our collective duty to insist that the rule of law must apply to all citizens, regardless of ideology, background, or political alignment,” Obi concluded.
