Amnesty International, a global human rights organization, has called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian Police Force to withdraw the case against the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
The call follows a ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered six commercial banks to release account information and full transaction records, both inflows and outflows, linked to Sowore, to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to a motion filed by the police boss, the human rights activist, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, is currently under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities.
Reacting to this development, Amnesty International condemned what it described as the “relentless harassment, intimidation, and persecution” of Sowore and urged the Federal Government to drop the charges, calling the investigation politically motivated.
“Authorities must immediately drop all the charges against him and end the politically motivated investigation,” the group said in a statement.
Sowore was arraigned again on fresh charges filed by the Inspector-General of Police, including allegations of terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraud.
The arraignment, along with the investigation into bank accounts linked to him and Sahara Reporters, has been described by Amnesty International as part of a wider attempt to clamp down on civic space and peaceful dissent in Nigeria.
“Nigerian authorities must allow Sowore to freely exercise his fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association,” Amnesty International said.
The group further alleged that beyond the ongoing legal battles, Sowore has been subjected to a series of human rights violations, including recent claims of torture and other ill-treatment while in police detention.
“These allegations must be promptly and independently investigated, and those responsible must be brought to justice through fair trials.
Amnesty International noted that it declared Sowore a Prisoner of Conscience in November 2019 and decried his repeated arrests, prolonged detentions, and the persistent violation of his rights over the years.
“The continued crackdown on Sowore is indicative of a broader and dangerous pattern of repression against civic freedoms in Nigeria,” the organization warned.
