Police Detain Omoyele Sowore in Abuja Over Alleged Forgery, Defamation

Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has been detained by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja on Wednesday after honouring an invitation to the Force Headquarters.

Sowore, who arrived at the headquarters around noon carrying a travel bag, was taken into custody shortly after. According to a report by Premium Times, police officials failed to provide him with a formal complaint or present any petition against him at the time of his detention.

Initial police correspondence had accused Sowore of “inciting disturbance,” but a subsequent letter issued to his lawyer on Monday replaced those charges with allegations of forgery and criminal defamation, Sahara Reporters revealed.

The arrest has sparked outrage among civil society organisations, with Amnesty International describing it as arbitrary and politically motivated. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the rights group demanded Sowore’s immediate and unconditional release, decrying what it termed ongoing harassment and intimidation by Nigerian authorities.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore who has been facing ongoing harassment and intimidation by the Nigeria Police. The Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sowore,” the organisation said.

Sowore has been a frequent target of state action since 2019, when he was first arrested and later declared a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International following his call for a peaceful protest.

In January 2025, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reported another arrest in which the police allegedly demanded Sowore’s international passport and a Level 17 civil servant as surety before considering his release.

His legal team says it is preparing to challenge the latest detention in court. Meanwhile, supporters from the Take It Back Movement, who accompanied Sowore to the police headquarters, have remained outside the facility demanding his immediate release.