Seven facts you don't know about Sowore's arrest

Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and founder of Nigerian online news organization Sahara Reporters who also ran for presidency as a minor candidate of African Action Congress [AAC] in the February presidential election, was according to multiple reports arrested by the State Security Service on Saturday, 3rd August 2019.





1. Sowore was arrested in the early hours of Saturday at his country home in Lagos, in what observers believe was an attempt to frustrate the revolutionary protests he had scheduled for Monday, August 5, across the nation.



2. Mr. Effiong, the Principal Counsel/Head of Chambers at Inibehe Effiong Chambers, in a series of Facebook posts, said that his client was arrested because of his ‘Revolution Now’ movement which seeks good governance.



3. Sometime in June 2019, Sowore was caught in a short video advocating for revolution among Nigerians. He said: "We don’t want war. We want a very clean, quick, succinct revolutionary process - surgical. That we put an end to the shenanigans of government, that we put an end to oppression, the corruption of government.” This we believe must have prompted the immediate action of the government to kick against the planned protest because it is a "threat to national security" according to the State Security Service spokesman.









4. Sowore, who's a former Student Union President of the University of Lagos, had earlier taken to the streets of Lagos last week, putting up posters and calling on youths to rise against bad governance. According to him, Nigerian youths were too docile and had allowed bad leaders to rule without being challenged.



5. According to the Public Relations Officer of DSS, Mr. Peter Afunanya's statement on Sowore's arrest, "If we are operating as a responsible security organisation and someone is calling for revolutionNow in Nigeria, we must understand the meaning of revolution. Primarily, it means a revolt, it means insurrection, it means insurgency, it means the forceful takeover of government and we are operating a democratic system in Nigeria. Nigeria is not a banana republic and cannot suddenly be made one. So, the DSS will not just sit by and watch individuals or groups wanting to rise and threaten the peace and unity of the country,” he said.



6. According to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, "The arrest of Sowore is unconstitutional, illegal and immoral because, it violates his freedom right to freedom of expression as provided for in Section of 1999 of Federal Republic of Nigeria and his right to assembly or association as provided for in Section 40 of 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria respectively."









7. The Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka reacting to the arrest of Sowore said, "If we cannot learn from the histories and experiences of other societies, let us at least learn from ours. Freedom is not so glibly qualified. It cannot be doled out like slops of charity from soup kitchens. Let the Police stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution.



watch video of Sowere's arrest below

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