Remand of activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in Kuje Prison has triggered fresh concerns about the state of civil liberties in Nigeria.
The concerns were raised by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; and rights lawyer and special counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Aloy Ejimakor.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered Sowore’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his application challenging the revocation of his bail. The court issued the order after dismissing an application in which Sowore sought the judge’s recusal from the case over alleged bias.
Warning against orders that could erode democratic freedoms, Obi said the treatment of critics, activists, and journalists has become a critical test of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic governance, cautioning that shrinking civic space could deepen public distrust at a time of economic hardship and insecurity.
Rather than focusing solely on Sowore’s legal troubles, Obi framed the issue as a broader question of how democratic institutions respond to dissent and public criticism.
According to him, democracies flourish when opposing voices are protected and citizens are free to express grievances without fear of intimidation or repression.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must remain sacrosanct, warning that any perception of state institutions being used to suppress dissent could damage Nigeria’s democratic image.
In its reaction, SERAP called on the Federal Government to immediately and unconditionally release Sowore and withdraw all charges of criminal defamation and cybercrimes against him, insisting that he was being detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his fundamental human rights.
In a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP expressed concern over what it described as an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and media freedom, as well as what it called a flagrant disregard for the rule of law by Nigerian authorities.
The organisation maintained that the authorities should protect, rather than suppress, human rights and the rule of law.
SERAP called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly direct the Department of State Services (DSS) to fully respect the rights of journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, and activists.
Reacting to the detention, Aloy Ejimakor accused the Bola Tinubu-led government of double standards.
Ejimakor noted that the Nigerian government had repeatedly detained human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, for exercising his rights to free speech, expression, and peaceful protest, while extending negotiations and concessions to known armed terrorists in the country.
Ejimakor made the remarks in a post on X yesterday while reacting to the remand of Sowore in Kuje Correctional Centre on the orders of Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The lawyer contrasted what he described as the government’s harsh treatment of critics with its approach to armed groups and insurgents terrorising the country.
“Whereas Omoyele Sowore has been detained nearly 50 times for harmless free speech, they are actively negotiating with terrorists, paying them humongous ransoms, rehabilitating them, and calling them their brothers and repentant,” Ejimakor wrote.
Similarly, Gani Adams condemned the remand of Sowore at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
In a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Olawunmi Ojo, Adams expressed concern over the revocation of Sowore’s bail and his subsequent detention, describing the development as a troubling precedent that could undermine the principles of a fair trial and freedom of expression.
“The decision to remand Sowore in Kuje Correctional Centre over allegations of cyberstalking and criminal defamation sends a dangerous signal to Nigerians who speak truth to power,” Adams said.
He added: “We must not allow the judiciary to be used as a tool to silence dissenting voices or intimidate activists and journalists.”
Adams urged the government and the judiciary to uphold citizens’ rights to fair legal processes and protect freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.
