TIB threatens nationwide protest over arrest of Omoyele Sowore

The Take It Back Movement (TIB) has issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday night, condemning the detention of Omoyele Sowore and vowing to mobilise Nigerians for a nationwide protest.

Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was reportedly detained by the Nigeria Police Force at its headquarters in Abuja after honouring a summons from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit on Wednesday, August 7.

Sowore, a prominent human rights activist and convener of the Take It Back Movement, is currently under investigation over allegations of forgery and inciting public disturbance.

Sources revealed that before Sowore arrived at the Force Headquarters alongside a group of fellow activists, the police had already secured a court order authorising his detention—suggesting the arrest was premeditated.

The statement, signed by Juwon Sanyaolu, TIB’s National Coordinator, described the arrest as politically motivated and arbitrary, accusing the police of denying Sowore access to both the formal petition against him and the identity of the petitioner.

“Accordingly, the Nigerian people, students, workers, the public, and the entire membership are hereby put on notice for a nationwide protest against the continuous harassment of Sowore, and unlawful use of state institutions to suppress dissent,” the statement read.

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According to the TIB, Sowore was not informed of the full details of the allegations leveled against him during the interrogation, further raising concerns about the transparency and legality of the investigation.

The group alleges that this latest development is part of a broader government crackdown on dissenting voices and opposition figures, a trend that rights groups and civil society organisations have warned against in recent months.

This is not the first time Sowore has faced arrest and detention by Nigerian authorities. The former presidential candidate was detained in 2019 by the Department of State Services (DSS) over charges relating to treason and cyberstalking following his planned #RevolutionNow protests.

His prolonged detention then sparked widespread outrage, both locally and internationally, and drew condemnation from rights watchdogs such as Amnesty International, which later declared him a prisoner of conscience.

Activists and political observers have begun calling for Sowore’s immediate release, warning that the use of state security agencies to detain political opponents could further damage Nigeria’s democratic image and civil liberties.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue an official statement clarifying the specific charges or the length of Sowore’s detention.

The coming days may witness mounting tension as TIB and allied groups prepare to hit the streets in protest, demanding justice and accountability from the Nigerian authorities.