Nigeria: Authorities must immediately release Omoyele Sowore

Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sahara Reporters publisher and activist Omoyele Sowore from arbitrary detention as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights, Amnesty International said today.

The Federal High Court in Abuja today reportedly ordered the remand of Sowore in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja. In a short ruling, Judge Mohammed Umar ordered Mr Sowore to be held in the correctional centre pending the hearing and determination of his motion to stay the order revoking his bail and bench warrant. 

Sowore is facing bogus cyberbullying charges for calling President Bola Tinubu “a criminal” in social media posts last year. 

Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the arbitrary detention of Sowore and the broader pattern of crackdown on civic space, and intimidation and harassment of activists, human rights defenders, and journalists solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. 

Sowore’s continued detention risks undermining the rights to freedom of expression, association, and civic participation, and will have a chilling effect on civil society organisations, journalists, and human rights defenders working to promote transparency and accountability in the country.

Sowore’s detention is linked to the peaceful expression of his views, and criticism of public officials, which are clearly protected under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

Nigerian authorities must immediately release Sowore and drop all the baseless charges against him. They must fully comply with international fair trial standards and respect due process guarantees. 

Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of any rule of law-based society. Public figures, journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and political commentators must be able to express opinions, criticize government policies, and participate in public debate without fear of arrest, detention or other forms of retaliation.

The misuse of the criminal justice system to punish or deter legitimate expression creates a chilling effect that extends far beyond the individual concerned. Such actions discourage others from speaking out, weaken civic space and undermine public confidence in the rule of law.

Nigerian authorities must uphold and respect the right to freedom of expression, including criticism of public officials and government policies, and refrain from using criminal law, judicial processes or restrictive measures to intimidate, harass or silence critics, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.

Authorities must demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and human rights by ensuring that no one is deprived of their liberty or subjected to abuse of the judicial system simply for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.