Police Detain Sowore In ‘Terrible Cell’ With Over 30 Suspected Kidnappers, Fraudsters
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, is currently being held in what has been described as a “terrible” and overcrowded police cell alongside over 30 other suspects, including alleged kidnappers and fraudsters.
According to a senior police officer who spoke with SaharaReporters on Thursday, the activist was deliberately thrown into the congested cell at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The officer, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, revealed that the suspects in the cell include Fulani herdsmen and others with criminal allegations such as kidnapping and fraud.
He raised concern over the health conditions within the cell, stating that many of the detainees are visibly ill and coughing persistently.
“Today, Sowore was kept in a cell with Fulani herdsmen. About 30 of them are in there, others are suspected kidnappers and individuals accused of fraud. It’s a terrible cell. A lot of them are sick and coughing,” the source stated.
He further alleged that the decision to place Sowore in such a cell was intentional, pointing to a wider effort to intimidate and dehumanise the activist, who has long been a vocal critic of government excesses and state repression.
The development has sparked outrage from civil rights groups and Sowore’s supporters, who have described the detention as unlawful, vindictive, and a gross abuse of police powers.
Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, was reportedly arrested on Wednesday after honouring an invitation from the Nigeria Police Force at its headquarters in Abuja.
He was said to have arrived in company of his lawyers—A.K. Musa and Marshal Abubakar—as well as supporters, only for officers to stall the interrogation process.
When Sowore insisted on seeing the original copies of the petitions against him before making a statement, officers allegedly became hostile.
Later, in the early hours of Thursday, a team of police operatives stormed the Force Intelligence Department and forcibly moved the activist to an undisclosed location.
Reports indicate that Sowore was assaulted in the process, resulting in injury to his right hand after he reportedly requested access to his lawyers and personal belongings.
He was subsequently taken to the current cell where his condition and the identities of his cellmates have raised alarm.
Background information reveals that two separate petitions were served to Sowore during his detention. One was reportedly based on allegations of forgery, while the other—allegedly authored by a newly promoted Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bukola Yemisi Kuti—accused him of “criminal defamation”.
Sources claim Kuti’s promotion was influenced by her close relationship with the Inspector-General of Police, fuelling allegations of institutional bias.
Reacting to the continued detention, the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement, a pro-democracy group affiliated with Sowore, announced plans to stage coordinated protests across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In a statement posted via his X (formerly Twitter) account, the group’s national coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, called on Nigerians to occupy police state commands from 9am on Friday to demand Sowore’s unconditional release.
“We will be occupying @PoliceNG state commands tomorrow. Join a barricade from your state. #FreeSowore #EgbetokunMustGo,” Sanyaolu wrote.
The TIB described the activist’s detention as illegal and vengeful, urging the public and the international community to hold the police leadership accountable for what it called a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
