By Huldah Shado
Labour Party’s Peter Obi has expressed deep concern over the detention of Omoyele Sowore by the Nigerian Police, calling for his immediate release or arraignment in court.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Obi criticized the police for detaining a citizen who willingly responded to an invitation for questioning. According to him, the police’s actions could undermine public trust in institutions.
Obi stated, “I was deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr Omoyele Sowore yesterday, shortly after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force.”
He further noted that the lack of clear charges being made public raises questions about the nature and motivation behind Sowore’s detention. Obi emphasized that the arrest is condemnable, especially given that Sowore presented himself in good faith to law enforcement.
The former Anambra State Governor argued that there was no apparent urgency or risk of Sowore fleeing that would justify such treatment.
He added, “To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power.” Obi urged the police to either release Sowore or charge him to court, stressing the importance of upholding justice and due process.
I therefore call on the Nigerian Police to immediately release Omoyele Sowore or charge him formally under the law.
“Anything short of this would be a further erosion of public trust in the nation’s law enforcement institutions.
“It is our collective duty to insist that the rule of law must apply to all citizens regardless of ideology, background, or political alignment, He wrote.
