—Peter Dansu An Australia-based Nigerian activist and leading member of the Take It Back Movement , Mr. Adejuwon Akinade, has strongly con...
—Peter Dansu
An Australia-based Nigerian activist and leading member of the Take It Back Movement, Mr. Adejuwon Akinade, has strongly condemned the recent arrest and continued detention of human rights advocate and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigerian police.
In a phone conversation with Badagry Today, Akinade expressed deep concern over what he described as the Nigerian government's "deliberate attack on freedom of speech and civil rights," following the latest crackdown on Sowore.
"I condemn the arrest and continued detention of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore by the Nigerian government. I am hereby calling for his immediate and unconditional release," Akinade said.
The activist’s remarks come on the heels of Sowore’s latest arrest, reportedly ordered by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, a move that has drawn backlash from human rights groups both within and outside Nigeria.
“This government cannot continue to suppress freedom of speech and expression. Citizens have the right to hold their leaders accountable without fear of assault, harassment, or arrest,” Akinade stated.
Sowore, a longtime pro-democracy advocate and former presidential candidate, was said to have been physically assaulted during the arrest—another episode in a long line of alleged state-sponsored aggression against dissenting voices in Nigeria.
“If someone like Sowore, who has been fighting for the liberation of his people since 1991, can be dehumanized and subjected to physical harm by the authorities, then imagine what ordinary Nigerians are going through daily,” Akinade lamented.
He further warned that the nation was slipping into a new era of dictatorship where truth-tellers are treated like criminals and where speaking out is becoming increasingly dangerous.
“I fear Nigeria is returning to dictatorship, where people are arrested for simply speaking the truth. We must not allow this dangerous regression to continue. Silence in the face of oppression is complicity,” he said.
The Take It Back Movement, which Sowore founded, has been at the forefront of campaigns demanding better governance, social justice, and human rights in Nigeria. Akinade’s voice adds to the growing list of global Nigerians calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to respect the rule of law and uphold democratic values.
As of press time, the Nigerian police have yet to issue a detailed statement justifying Sowore’s continued detention, even as social media remains abuzz with demands for his release under the trending hashtag #FreeSowore.
Rights advocates warn that the longer the silence from the authorities, the louder the questions about Nigeria’s democratic health and human rights record will become.
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