25/10/2025
The Socialist Workers League (SWL) condemned the arrest of Sowore, stating that what happened on the grounds at the Kuje Magistrate Court was not just a violation of his fundamental human rights, but a continuation of the Nigerian state’s repressive attacks against the protests organised by the Take It Back Movement.
SWL in a statement jointly signed by Jharmo Towolawi and Amara Nwosu, National Chairperson and National Secretary respectively, stated that the brutalisation of Sowore, a man whose crime is that he leads a movement that insists that all Nigerians must be treated with dignity, underscores the state’s disregard for the rights and liberties of the Nigerian people.
"It shows clearly that the APC regime of Mr. Bọlá Tinubu fears the dissenting voices of Nigerians who speak out loud against the economic, social and political violence it inflicts on us, using the police force as its preferred instrument of tyranny.
"This deliberate and calculated tactic by the Tinubu regime to silence our voices, now and ahead of the 2027 general election, will be met with stiff resistance by the Nigerian people because the assault on Sowore and other is an assault on the tens of millions of Nigerians with whom Sowore's message resonates, and who dare to resist Tinubu’s tyranny by demanding a country governed by the people themselves, for the people , and not by a ruling class of the 1%ers,with brute force.
"It is an insult to the struggle we waged to defeat military dictatorship, a violation of fundamental civil and political rights won with such struggles, and a challenge to every citizen who still believes that Nigeria can be better," the group insisted.
The group, vowed that they would not be intimidated by uniforms or silenced by batons, warning that if the state insists on ruling through violence, it must be prepared to face the organised and unrelenting will of the people.
"We will flood the streets with our voices. We will occupy the spaces they try to control. We will turn every courtroom, every campus, and every market square into theatres of resistance," the group said. "This is not a moment for negotiation. It is a moment for revolution of conscience and courage. The kind of revolution that reclaims the soul of a people hijacked by cowards in uniform and their agbada-wearing masters in power."
The CSO, however, demanded for the "immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and other protesters. Immediate removal of CSP Ilyasu Barau and all officers involved in this act.
"An independent investigation by the Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and credible civil society observers, into the repressive attacks against the protest by state security operatives.
"An independent investigation by the Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and credible civil society observers, into the attack at Kuje Magistrate Court, including the authenticity of the alleged remand order.
"Prosecution and disciplinary action against all officers found culpable of assault, obstruction of justice, or subversion of the judicial process. Protection of lawyers, journalists, and court users from intimidation and physical harm by state security agents.
"Immediate public disclosure of any documents, orders, or directives allegedly used to justify this illegal detention. Medical attention and reparations for Sowore and others assaulted in the course of this unlawful attack; and an end to the illegal and politically-motivated detention of Nnamdi Kanu in violation of several court orders."
SaharaReporters reported that chaos erupted on Friday outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja after police officers punched and forcefully dragged Sowore into a waiting vehicle despite the court granting him bail.
SaharaReporters on Friday reported that the Nigeria Police Force defended the controversial rearrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, inside court premises, claiming that a court-granted bail does not automatically entitle a suspect to immediate freedom.
The Force spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, already notorious for his jaundiced reactions to the protests, had explained on his X handle on Friday that police are "enforcement officers" empowered to use commensurate force to achieve their mandate on Sowore.
Hundeyin had claimed that when a remand warrant specifies that a suspect should be held in a correctional facility, it is the police’s responsibility to hand over the suspect to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), which then processes the bail conditions.
CSP Hundeyin also justified the use of force by law enforcement, asserting that officers are empowered to employ commensurate force to achieve their mandate.
The incident has sparked concerns about the growing impunity of state agents and the erosion of democratic values in Nigeria. The Take It Back Movement and the Centre for Change have vowed to resist any attempts to silence voices of dissent through intimidation or brute force.
The police assault on former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has continued to spark outrage among several civil society organisations which are also calling for his immediate release and punishment of officers involved in the unwarranted attack. The latest condemnat...
