The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has strongly condemned the arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and several other peaceful protesters by the Nigeria Police Force during the recent Free Nnamdi Kanu protest in Abuja.
According to RULAAC, the arrest is a serious threat to democracy and civic freedom.
The police claimed that Sowore and others were arrested for allegedly violating a court order restricting protests in certain areas of Abuja.
However, RULAAC described this justification as “troubling and legally untenable.” The group’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, argued that the right to peaceful assembly and expression is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
RULAAC emphasized that peaceful protest is not a crime but a legitimate democratic tool for citizens to express dissent and demand accountability. The group warned that criminalizing protest or targeting human rights defenders like Sowore for exercising their rights is a “dangerous step toward authoritarianism.”
The organization pointed out the irony that the same government and police authorities that routinely disobey valid court orders are now invoking a court order to suppress peaceful protest.
“Selective obedience to court orders undermines the rule of law and public confidence in the justice system,” RULAAC said.
RULAAC called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately and unconditionally release all arrested protesters and to desist from actions that violate citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. The group also urged the judiciary to resist being used as an instrument for the suppression of civil liberties.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while it continues to punish citizens for demanding justice and compliance with the rule of law,” RULAAC emphasized. The group’s condemnation of the arrest highlights the growing concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
