Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has strongly condemned the arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore over a recent protest calling for the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore was arrested by police on Wednesday during the protest but was granted bail on Friday by an Abuja Magistrate Court, along with several other demonstrators. However, reports indicate that police rearrested him outside the court shortly after his release.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, Frank demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore and other protesters, describing the arrest as a direct attack on democratic freedoms and an alarming step toward authoritarian rule.
He said:
“We strongly condemn this reckless action as an assault on democracy, freedom of speech, and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The arrest of Sowore is unjustifiable and represents a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism in a country that claims to operate under democratic principles.
The right to protest, to assemble, and to hold government accountable are fundamental pillars of any true democracy. Suppressing these rights through intimidation and arbitrary arrests is a betrayal of the democratic promises made to the Nigerian people.”
Frank urged President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other authorities to immediately release Sowore and others detained for exercising their constitutional rights.
He further called on the government to focus on addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic and security challenges rather than silencing dissenting voices.
“Tinubu’s administration must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights by ending the culture of fear, intimidation, and repression,” he added.
