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Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned the detention of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore was detained on Wednesday after honouring an invitation by the Inspector-General of Police’s Monitoring Unit.
In a statement on Thursday, Tope Temokun, Sowore’s lawyer, alleged that the activist was moved from police custody to an undisclosed location in the early hours of Thursday under circumstances that resulted in physical injury
Reacting to the development in a post shared on his X account, Obi wondered why the activist was detained when he was not considered a flight risk.
He asserted that Sowore’s arrest should be condemned, considering he presented himself in good faith to the police.
Obi subsequently urged the Nigerian police to release Sowore or charge him formally under the law.
He said, “I was deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr. Omoyele Sowore @YeleSowore yesterday, shortly after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force. At the time of writing, no clear or credible charges have been made public, which further casts a troubling shadow over the nature and motivation behind his detention.
“His arrest, particularly under circumstances where he presented himself in good faith to law enforcement, should be condemned by all who value justice and due process. From all indications, no urgency or criminal flight risk warranted such high-handed treatment.
“To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power.
“As the ancient Greek philosopher Plato rightly said, “Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.” When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but the moral conscience of the nation.
“I therefore call on the Nigerian Police to immediately release Omoyele Sowore or charge him formally under the law. Anything short of this would be a further erosion of public trust in the nation’s law enforcement institutions.
It is our collective duty to insist that the rule of law must apply to all citizens- regardless of ideology, background, or political alignment. -PO”
The post He Is Not A Criminal, Flight Risk – Peter Obi Demands Immediate Release Of Sowore appeared first on Naija News.
