Amnesty International is deeply concerned about alleged reports of plans by the Nigerian authorities to arrest human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore upon his return to Nigeria.
Omoyele Sowore is being targeted simply for peacefully exercising his human rights. The government of President Bola Tinubu must publicly commit to allowing Sowore and other Nigerians to freely exercise their constitutionally and internationally recognized human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and movement.
Omoyele Sowore is Amnesty International’s Prisoner of Conscience.
The alleged plans to arrest Omoyele Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria would amount to arbitrary restrictions, which would have a chilling effect on Nigerians’ exercise of human rights and discourage the public from criticizing the authorities.
Under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, all of which Nigeria has ratified, everyone has the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and movement.
Nigerian authorities should guarantee and ensure the human rights of Omoyele Sowore whenever he returns to the country, as well as the rights of other human rights defenders, activists, and journalists.
Authorities should end the weaponization of security agents to harass, intimidate, and abuse critics, human rights activists, journalists, and whistleblowers, and instead uphold the human rights of everyone in the country.
The alleged threat to arrest Omoyele Sowore upon his return to Nigeria follows the escalating crackdown on human rights, peaceful dissent, and media freedom in the country.
Last week, Nigeria’s Department of State Services arbitrarily arrested NLC President Joe Ajaero and invaded the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, barely 24 hours after the organization urged President Tinubu to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to reverse the hike in the pump price of petrol promptly and to probe allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC