Omoyele Sowore, popular activist and Sahara Reporters publisher has regained his freedom after spending two days in detention at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja.
Sowore was taken into custody on Wednesday after honouring an invitation from the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit over petitions alleging the forgery of a police document and cyberbullying.
He was allegedly assaulted during the arrest, sustained injuries, and was moved to an undisclosed location without his lawyers being informed.
The incident drew widespread condemnation from civil society groups and other politicians and activists who described the arrest as a violation of due process and an attack on fundamental rights.
Announcing his release in a live video on his Facebook page on Friday night, Sowore expressed gratitude to various groups and Nigerians who stood in solidarity with him during his detention.
He gave special thanks to prominent figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and human rights lawyer Femi Falana, among others.
“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!
We told them they couldn’t sustain this, but they refused to listen. You cannot detain an idea whose time has come,” #RevolutionNow,” he stated.