Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other Nigerians have condemned the arrest of Mr Omoyele Sowore.
Some of the prominent citizens took to Twitter on Saturday to call for Sowore’s release hours after he was reportedly picked up by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a post, the former vice president described the arrest as “kidnapping in the guise”, stressing that freedom of speech was part of the nation’s democracy.
For the Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP), Sowore’s unconditional release would be “first step to stop Nigeria’s precipitous human rights slide”.
On his part, a civil rights activist and former member of the Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, faulted those he described as political elites allergic to the freedoms they once stood for.
He also accused the so-called elites of sponsoring protest and attacks on human rights organisation, Amnesty International.
READ ALSO: DSS Arrests Omoyele Sowore
A former minister and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, also condemned Sowore’s arrest.
He said the arrest was unnecessary and uncalled for, adding that Sowore should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Similarly, former minister Oby Ezekwesili called on well-meaning Nigerians to stand with Sowore and defend his right and freedom to protest any matter of governance that worries him.
Sowore, an activist and publisher of online news platform SaharaReporters, was said to have been picked up at his apartment in the early hours of Saturday.
He made his arrest known via his Twitter handle at about 1:25 am.
A minute after, the former presidential candidate tweeted “Ja p” which, according to his news platform, confirms his phone must have been seized while trying to raise the alarm about his arrest.
The news website added that its publisher’s arrest was not unconnected to #RevolutionNow, a series of planned protests against bad governance in the country scheduled for August 5, 2019.
Mr Sowore contested the presidential election on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Read the tweets below:
Freedom of speech is not only constitutionally guaranteed, it is the substructure of our democracy. These kidnappings in the guise of arrests stands condemned. -AA
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 3, 2019
Nigeria in the last 24 hours:
*Apparently rented ‘protesters’ blocked @AmnestyNigeria office, intimidating its staff members
*Political opposition leader and activist @YeleSowore arbitrarily arrested by DSS#StandUp4HumanRights @UN_SPExperts @UNHumanRights @antonioguterres— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) August 3, 2019
SERAP strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of opposition leader and activist @YeleSowore
by SSS. The Nigerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him. Sowore’s unconditional release will be a first step to stop Nigeria’s precipitous human rights slide.— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) August 3, 2019
REMINDER: No government–federal or state–should have the license to arbitrarily arrest opposition leaders, bloggers, etc, or harass and intimidate International NGOs#FreeSowore #FreeDadiyata#EndAttackOnAI#Standup4HumanRights @UN_SPExperts @UNHumanRights @antonioguterres
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) August 3, 2019
The ruling political elites are allergic to the freedoms they once stood for;Are fearful of the rights they once stood for;Are reneging on the ideas and principles of justice they once fought for and are subscribing to the autocracy they once despised and denounced.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) August 3, 2019
Our democracy is a block of ice floating on warm waters.The sponsored protest and attacks on the @AmnestyNigeria stands condemned.The arrest & detention of @YeleSowore is needless.I join the call for his release #FreeSowore.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) August 3, 2019
The enemy of the slave who wants freedom is the master.The enemy of the Slave who don’t want freedom is the slave who wants freedom.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) August 3, 2019
The arrest of @YeleSowore is uncharitable, unkind, unecessary, uncalled for, unsustainable, indefensible and regrettable. I condemn this fascistic and Gestapo-like action by the DSS against him and I call for his immediate and unconditional release. #FreeSoworeNow #RevolutionNow
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) August 3, 2019
All well-meaning Nigerians should stand with @YeleSowore and defend his constitutional right and freedom to protest any matter of Governance that worries him.
Mr Sowore’s convening of Citizens to protest Poor Governance – via #RevolutionNow– is Constitutionally guaranteed.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) August 3, 2019
I therefore join the voices of all well-meaning Nigerians to ask @AsoRock @NGRPresident @MBuhari to:#FreeSoworeNow!#FreeSoworeNow!!#FreeSoworeNow!!!#FreeSoworeNow!!!!#DefendCitizenSoworesRight to Speech and Protest captioned
#RevolutionNow! #IStandWithYeleSowore. ✍🏾✍🏾— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) August 3, 2019
Hmmmm. @AsoRock ought to know that they cannot sustain this unconstitutional habit of repression against #CitizensRights. All these persistent acts of @NGRPresident to shrink the Public Space with rabid level of intolerance for dissension will surely fail.#FreeSoworeNow!
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) August 3, 2019
