Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep concern over the arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore by the Nigeria Police, alongside several other citizens who were reportedly detained while peacefully protesting across different parts of the country.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku said:
“I have just been informed of the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigeria Police, as well as the arrest of several other citizens who were peacefully protesting in different parts of the country.
I am shocked and disappointed, but not surprised. Shocked that in 2025, decades after we defeated military rule, this government still treats dissent as a crime. Disappointed because those in power today once thrived on protests. But not surprised, for Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him.
Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law. The arrest of other peaceful protesters across the country only deepens the stain. Protest is not a crime; it is a constitutional right.
I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices.
Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny.”
Atiku Abubakar’s statement has since sparked wide reactions across social and political circles, as many Nigerians echo his call for justice and respect for citizens’ constitutional rights.
