Human rights activist and 2023 African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has announced plans for more protests following his brief detention at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday.
Sowore revealed that upon his arrival from the United States, officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service seized his passport and detained him. He disclosed this incident on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA at MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me.”
Supporters who had gathered at the airport to protest his detention celebrated when Sowore was released a short time later.
Speaking later on Arise TV, Sowore confirmed that the planned “FearlessInOctober” protest would begin on October 1, 2024. He described it as part of ongoing efforts to challenge the government’s policies, which he says have caused economic hardship and repression. The October protest is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance movement, which started on August 1.
Sowore criticized the Federal Government for its lack of action on the 15 demands made during the August protests, instead opting to arrest and detain participants on charges of treason for carrying placards. “This is going to be a continuation of that,” he said.
He also shared his past experiences with accusations of treason, dating back to his days as a student activist in the 1990s, and reiterated that such charges would not deter him. “Our focus is that we have a country to liberate and a people to save,” he added.
The AAC’s National Publicity Secretary, Adeyeye Olorunfemi, condemned Sowore’s detention, calling it an act of intimidation by the Bola Tinubu administration. He stressed that the government should focus on resolving the economic challenges facing Nigerians instead of silencing opposition voices.
The party further demanded the release of all protesters detained during the August #EndBadGovernance demonstrations and vowed to resist future attempts at harassment or intimidation of its leaders and supporters.
