A storm is brewing across Nigeria’s political landscape as the Take It Back (TIB) Movement has sounded the alarm over the detention of its leader, Omoyele Sowore, promising a nationwide protest if he is not released immediately.
Sowore — the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and convener of the RevolutionNow Movement — was reportedly detained on Wednesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he had gone voluntarily in response to a police invitation.
According to the Nigeria Police Force, the outspoken activist is under investigation by the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit for alleged forgery and inciting public disturbance — charges his supporters are calling politically motivated and unjust.
Juwon Sanyaolu, TIB’s National Coordinator, confirmed the detention in a statement, saying, “I have learnt the police have a court order to detain him.” He condemned what he described as the “continued harassment and unlawful persecution” of Sowore by state forces.
The situation quickly escalated as supporters of Sowore, some holding placards and chanting solidarity songs, gathered outside the police headquarters in protest.
Videos circulating on social media showed tension between demonstrators and security operatives, with calls intensifying for Sowore’s immediate release.
Femi Adeyeye, AAC’s National Publicity Secretary, warned that the country is “on the brink of mass civil disobedience,” stating, “We will not hesitate to occupy Police Commands across the country until Sowore is released and justice is served.”
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TIB insists that Sowore was neither shown the petition filed against him nor informed of the petitioner’s identity.
His legal team, led by Tope Temokun, had earlier received a letter from police promising that such details would only be disclosed upon Sowore’s appearance for questioning.
The detention has drawn criticism from across Nigeria’s civil society and political opposition. Adewole Adebayo, a former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), took to X.com (formerly Twitter) to denounce the arrest.
“Law enforcement powers should not be weaponized to silence critics. The police are a constitutional body, not above public accountability,” he wrote. He also questioned the police’s priorities, noting the country’s dire need for more personnel to tackle “worsening insecurity.”
The police have yet to release an official statement on the exact charges or duration of the detention, and multiple attempts to reach Force PRO Muyiwa Adejobi for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
With protests looming and pressure mounting from human rights groups and opposition parties, the coming days could mark another critical chapter in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle between political dissent and state power.