On January 1, 2021, Nigerian police arrested activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore and four others in Abuja for organizing an anti-government protest, Sowore’s lawyer Femi Falana told AFP.
Officers allegedly beat Sowore, leaving him with bruises, and detained him in a notorious “abattoir” section of a prison alongside armed robbery suspects, prompting Falana to demand his immediate release.
Police Justify Crackdown
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police confirmed the arrests, stating they responded to a distress call from residents about an “unusual gathering” at 12:30 a.m. in Gudu and Lokogoma. Police spokeswoman Mariam Yusuf claimed the activists’ actions caused “palpable tension” among locals, justifying the arrests for unlawful assembly, per a statement to AFP.
Sowore’s Call to Action
Hours before his arrest, Sowore, founder of Sahara Reporters and a 2019 presidential candidate, posted on X, urging Nigerians to protest against poor governance under President Muhammadu Buhari. His call echoed his 2019 “Revolution Now” campaign, which led to his earlier arrest on August 1, 2019, for treason, money laundering, and cyber harassment. Released in December 2019, Sowore remained under legal scrutiny.
Context of Repression
The arrests followed Nigeria’s October 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality, which turned violent, with security forces killing at least 12 protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, per Amnesty International. The movement, driven by youth, exposed widespread discontent with Buhari’s government. Human rights groups and media condemned the January 2021 arrests as reminiscent of Nigeria’s military dictatorship era pre-1999, per Al Jazeera reports.
Political and Social Impact
Sowore’s detention, alongside Nigeria’s history of suppressing dissent, fueled accusations of authoritarianism. The NDC’s concerns about state intimidation, as seen in a related 2020 activist arrest in Bono East, reflect similar regional tensions. Sowore’s case underscores Nigeria’s challenge in balancing security and free expression in Africa’s most populous nation.
