Meanwhile, his lawyers have requested to see the court order the police claim to have secured to justify his detention, but the police have yet to present the document.
SaharaReporters has learned that the Nigerian police have obtained a purported court order to detain human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, following his invitation over a controversial petition alleging forgery and criminal defamation.
Sowore, who voluntarily honoured the invitation, arrived at the Force Headquarters in Abuja accompanied by his legal team—A.K. Musa, Marshal Abubakar—and several supporters.
Upon arrival, investigators reportedly stalled proceedings, claiming Sowore had to wait for the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) after the activist demanded to see the original copy of the petition and declined to make a statement without it.
Meanwhile, his lawyers have requested to see the court order the police claim to have secured to justify his detention, but the police have yet to present the document.
As of the time of filing this report, a detachment of armed officers had been deployed to the premises of the Force Intelligence Department (FID), where Sowore is being held, apparently in preparation to move him to an undisclosed location.
Tension is mounting at the facility as protesters continue to gather, demanding Sowore’s immediate release.
Background
Initially, Sowore was asked to appear before the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja on August 4, 2025, over allegations of forgery and inciting disturbance.
He refused to comply, citing the invitation as legally invalid. The letter referenced a non-existent law—Section 53(2) of the “ACJA 2025”—and an offence not recognised under Nigerian criminal law.
Sowore demanded a properly signed summons and a copy of the petition before he would consider showing up.
After public backlash and Sowore’s refusal, the police reissued a corrected invitation on August 5, dropping the “inciting disturbance” charge and replacing it with criminal defamation alongside forgery.
The new letter was addressed to his lawyer and scheduled the meeting for August 6 at 11:30 a.m., promising to provide the petition copy in person.
He confirmed he would honour the revised invitation—but not quietly. He called on “freedom fighters” and “voices of resistance” to accompany him to the Force Headquarters.
The police invitation follows Sowore’s involvement in a protest by retired officers and his accusation that a police cameraman stole his Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses.
This episode adds another layer to Sowore’s long-standing friction with Nigerian authorities.
