Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), has announced that more protests are imminent after his brief detention at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday.
Sowore revealed that upon his return from the United States, he was detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service, who seized his passport under orders to hold him. He shared on X.com, “I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA at MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me.”
Sowore linked the incident to ongoing efforts by the government, which he described as fascist, to suppress dissent ahead of the planned #FearlessInOctober protests. He was released shortly after the detention, and his supporters, who had gathered at the airport, celebrated his release.
During an interview on Arise TV later that day, Sowore discussed the upcoming “FearlessInOctober” protest, scheduled for October 1, 2024. He explained that this was part of a series of protests, starting from the “End Bad Governance” demonstration on August 1. According to him, the government ignored 15 demands made during the earlier protests and instead arrested and charged many participants with treason for holding placards.
Sowore stated that the upcoming protests are a continuation of the fight against bad governance, saying, “Mobilization for the October protest has been ongoing since the end of the August demonstration. Everyone, including the government, is aware of this. It’s the right of Nigerians not to let this government suppress them with hunger, starvation, and incompetence.”
He also expressed no fear of further arrests, asserting that charging citizens with treason for opposing government actions is unjust. Recalling his past experiences, Sowore said he first faced treason charges in 1992 during protests at the University of Lagos, and again in 2019 under Buhari’s administration. He emphasized that such accusations would not deter the movement, stating, “Our focus is on liberating the country and saving the people.”
Sowore further noted that even President Bola Tinubu had faced treason accusations in 1994 under Abacha’s regime but went into exile. He, however, stressed that his movement would not be driven into exile by fear.
AAC’s National Publicity Secretary, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, condemned Sowore’s detention as an “unwarranted act of intimidation” and accused the Tinubu administration of stifling dissent. In a statement, Adeyeye demanded that the government focus its efforts on alleviating the economic hardships facing Nigerians rather than silencing opposition.
The AAC also vowed to resist further attempts to intimidate its leaders and called for the release of all protesters detained during the August #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
, has announced that more protests are imminent after his brief detention at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday.){kind=link}