Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has been released after spending three days in police detention.
Sowore announced his release on Friday night through his social media pages and spoke to his supporters in a live Facebook broadcast.
“Nigeria Police Force has capitulated to the demands of the revolutionary movement. I have been released from unjust, illegal and unwarranted detention. However, it is nothing to celebrate, but thank you for not giving up! #RevolutionNow,” he wrote.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Intervention Squad, Abayomi Shogunle, told reporters earlier on Friday that Sowore was held over two separate petitions — one on the alleged forgery of a police document published online, and another on cyberbullying.
“The two petitions against Omoyele Sowore were shown to him in my presence,” Shogunle said in a video shared by SaharaReporters. “One bordered on forgery of a police document, the other has to do with cyberbullying.”
He said Sowore, in the presence of his lawyers, declined to make a statement during interrogation.
Shogunle argued that while the activist had the right to remain silent, the police also had the legal authority to continue their investigation under such circumstances.
When asked why Sowore had been held beyond the 24 hours permitted by the constitution, the police commissioner said the detention was in line with “the provisions of the law.”
Sowore was invited to the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit and was detained afterwards. His arrest triggered protests in Lagos, Abuja, Osun, and Oyo states, where demonstrators demanded his release.
Before his arrest, Sowore had led a protest calling for better welfare for retired police officers and had criticised a recent promotion exercise within the Nigeria Police Force.
