The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Nigerian Police to immediately and unconditionally release journalist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who was reportedly detained on Thursday.
In a statement issued today, SERAP condemned the continued detention and prosecution of Sowore, describing it as a blatant violation of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations to which the country is bound.
“The Nigerian police must end the persecution of Sowore solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights,” the organisation stated. “Authorities must drop all charges against him and release him without delay.”
SERAP maintained that Sowore’s detention constitutes arbitrary imprisonment in breach of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Nigeria’s commitments under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“These legally binding human rights treaties and the Constitution unequivocally prohibit arbitrary detention. No one should be arrested or detained simply for peacefully exercising their constitutionally and internationally recognized rights, including freedom of expression,” the statement added.
SERAP urged the Nigerian government to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of all citizens, warning that continued repression of peaceful dissent undermines democracy and civil liberties.
Sowore, a prominent activist and former presidential aspirant, has faced multiple arrests in recent years, often linked to his vocal criticism of government policies and advocacy for political reform.
