By Uche Amunike
Publisher of Sahara Reporters and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has confirmed that he was arrested and briefly detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on his arrival to Nigeria at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Sunday.
Sowore announced his arrest and eventual release by the NIS officials via two separate posts on X within the space of one hour, after he arrived the country, having been away for months at the United States of America, where his family is based.
According to him, when he asked the reason for his arrest and detention, the Nigerian Immigration Service operatives explained that it was based on orders given to them.
His tweet: ‘DETAINED BY THE @NigerianImmigration, my International passport confiscated. I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me.’
Shortly after his tweet, he posted that he had been released and his international passport, returned to him.
His tweet: ‘I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me. #RevolutionNow.’
When contacted on Sunday, however, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Immigration Sevice, Kenneth Udo, stated that Omoyele Sowore was not arrested. He rather said that he merely underwent the routine immigration clearance on arrival into the country.
Reports by Premium Times indicated that his flight departed the Washington Dulles International Airport at 6.14 EDT and landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at around 9.43am Nigerian time on Sunday. His arrival was about three days after Sahara reporters raised the alarm in a publication that the State Security Service (SSS) was making plans to arrest him.
According to the reports by Sahara Reporters, there was a leaked memo of the SSS which showed that the security agency was plotting to arrest him over his role in the #EndBadGovernance protest that took place in August.
Ever since the ten-day protest that started on August 1 took place, the Tinubu-led government has arrested organizers of the protest and some others linked to it. About 1000 people, including passersby, minors and those who share posts that concerned the protest on social media platforms, were arrested in connection with the protest with the government accusing them of serious crimes that include treason and terrorism.
Ten people are currently facing charges of collaborating with a British socialist, Andrew Wynne, to topple the current Tinubu administration and levy a war against Nigeria. These people were arrested in Kaduna, Abuja and other places.
Omoyele Sowore earlier posted in his first tweet that announced his arrest: ‘This is not unexpected because I have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.’
‘In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond. #EndBadGovernaceInNigerianow #RevolutionNow.’
Sowore, who is a two-time presidential candidate is not new to arrest or detention by the Nigerian Police Force or the SSS, over activism.
