Chisom Umejiaku
Activist and social commentator VeryDarkMan has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to deliver on the pro-democracy promises that brought him to power in 2023. In a viral video posted on TikTok, he expressed outrage over the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore, describing it as a betrayal of the ideals Tinubu once championed.
VeryDarkMan accused the president of becoming “the modern-day oppressor” he once opposed, adding that if Nigeria had been run according to Tinubu’s campaign pledges, Sowore would not still be on the streets protesting.
Sowore, a journalist, pro-democracy activist, and founder of the New York–based investigative platform Sahara Reporters, was apprehended on Wednesday after honouring an invitation from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. On Friday, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Shogunle told protesters and journalists in Abuja that Sowore’s arrest and detention were ordered after he allegedly refused to make a statement during police interrogation.
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Supporters have since staged protests in Lagos, Abuja, Osun, and Oyo states demanding his release. Sowore had recently led a demonstration for improved welfare for retired police officers and openly criticised a recent promotion exercise in the Nigeria Police Force, positions believed to have further strained relations between him and the authorities.
VeryDarkMan’s remarks have intensified public debate about the government’s human rights record, with many questioning whether the administration has abandoned the reformist ideals it once embraced.