The Take It Back Movement has expressed deep concern over reports that the Nigerian police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi is seeking to arrest Omoyele Sowore on fabricated charges of “breach of public peace.”
TIB Movement in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon, on Saturday, described the development as “yet another example of the ongoing harassment and intimidation tactics used by Nigerian authorities to silence critical voices”.
He said, “The attempt to obtain video footage of Sowore’s arrival at the Force Intelligence Department on Monday to retroactively justify charges is an outrageous abuse of power and a gross miscarriage of justice.
“The Nigerian Police Force’s relentless targeting of Sowore and other activists is an affront to the principles of democracy and free speech that our movement upholds.”
“We strongly condemn these actions and demand an immediate end to this campaign of intimidation. Any attempt to arrest Sowore or any member of our movement on trumped-up charges will be met with the full force of our collective resistance,” he said.
He urged the police spokesman Adejobi and those who seek to silence dissent that their “time is up”.
“We will not be intimidated,” Sanyaolu said.
“We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where justice, transparency, and accountability prevail. The Take It Back Movement stands united, and we will not be silenced.”
SaharaReporters on Friday reported that Adejobi was searching for a video of Sowore’s visit to the Force Headquarters on Monday.
According to sources, Adejobi intends to use the video to support filing fresh charges against Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), alleging a breach of public peace during his visit, which was in response to a police invitation.
SaharaReporters learnt from sources that the police PRO plans to arrest Sowore over the weekend and charge him with breach of public peace on Monday.
On Monday, Sowore was detained at the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office at Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, following his refusal to accept the bail conditions set by the police.
The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) described the bail conditions as “illegal”.
Sowore had honoured an invitation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the police over his exposé on officers allegedly extorting motorists along Ikeja, Lagos State.