By Our Correspondent
The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has issued a fiery condemnation of the recent arrest and alleged brutalization of pro-democracy activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Friday, the group described the arrest as a calculated attack on civil liberties and a glaring abuse of power that could lead to a national uprising if not urgently addressed.
Sowore, a prominent activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested on Thursday, August 7, 2025, after reportedly honoring a police invitation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. According to reports, he was held at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) and was later assaulted and relocated to an undisclosed location under controversial circumstances.
The OYC, a youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a joint statement signed by its National President Igboayaka O. Igboayaka and Comrade Onuoha Eberechukwu, Chairman of the Anambra State chapter and National Committee Chairman on Civil Defense and Democratic Rights, demanded the activist’s immediate and unconditional release.
Quoting their exact words, the statement reads:
“13 State Chairmen of OYC across Southeast, South-South and Northern (Kogi & Benue), we express our utter shock, moral outrage, and unreserved condemnation of the despicable, illegal, and cowardly attack carried out by the Nigeria Police Force against Mr. Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate, pro-democracy activist, and renowned journalist.”
The group further alleged that the assault on Sowore occurred while he was still in lawful custody, an act they described as both unlawful and a form of state-sanctioned violence.
“In the early hours of Thursday, August 7, 2025, a team of armed officers from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), under the command and orchestration of illegal Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, forcefully invaded the secure detention cell of Mr. Sowore at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja. In a brazen and utterly indefensible act of state violence, they brutalized and broke his right arm, stripped him of his dignity, and whisked him away to an undisclosed location — all while his case is still pending in a competent court of law.”
Sowore has been a thorn in the side of successive governments, leading major protest movements such as #RevolutionNow, and has faced several arrests and prosecutions since 2019. His ongoing activism has often put him at odds with security agencies, who have been accused of clamping down on dissent.
Calling the police operation a “judicial sabotage,” the OYC minced no words in their description of the state’s action:
“This shameful incident amounts to judicial sabotage, a gross violation of Sowore’s constitutional rights, and a chilling reminder of the dictatorial posture of a supposed democratic government… What kind of illegal Inspector General of Police allows his men to physically assault a citizen in custody, break his limbs, and carry him off like a criminal in the middle of legal proceedings? This is not policing; this is state-sponsored terrorism. It is cowardice in uniform.”
The group also warned of the consequences of continued state impunity and hinted at a looming youth-led uprising if justice is not served.
“Let it be known that the Ohanaeze Youth Council views this barbaric attack on Mr. Sowore as an attack on every Nigerian, every revolutionary Nigerian youth, and every voice of conscience in this country… We issue this as a final warning to illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun and his enablers at the helm of national security: the more you treat the Nigerian people with disdain, violence, and flawless disregard, the closer you push this country to the edge of civil unrest and anarchy.”
They demanded a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force, an official response from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate medical attention for Mr. Sowore, and the prosecution of the officers involved in the incident.
The statement concluded with a 72-hour ultimatum and the threat of mass mobilization:
“If these demands are not met within 72 hours, the group shall begin nationwide mobilization of Nigerian youth, starting from the South-East, to demand justice through lawful means, including mass action, legal petitions, and international lobbying. We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated.”
