Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was briefly detained and released after his arrest on Sunday morning at Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Earlier reports indicated that Sowore was arrested upon his return to Nigeria from the United States. In a social media post, he revealed that Nigerian Immigration officers had seized his passport and informed him of an order for his detention.
He wrote, “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. This is not unexpected because I have always known it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.”
Sowore expressed concerns about a possible prolonged detention and urged Nigerians to continue resisting tyranny through direct actions planned for October 1stand beyond.
READ ALSO: DSS Arrests Sowore Upon Return To Nigeria
His flight departed from Washington Dulles International Airport at 6:14 AM EDT, landing in Lagos at approximately 9:43 AM.
This incident came after a memo was leaked on Thursday, September 12, 2024, revealing an order from the Department of State Services (DSS) for his arrest upon his return.
After his release, Sowore appeared on News Central Channel, detailing his encounter with Immigration officials at the airport. He also reported that one of his bags was missing and cautioned against any attempt to plant incriminating items in it.
“After being detained, I went to retrieve my belongings and noticed one of my bags was missing. The tracking on my phone with the airline shows that the bag arrived,” he said.
“I hope they don’t try to do something foolish with my bag, like planting something in it. I don’t do drugs.”
READ ALSO: Nothing Will Stop Our Protest In August – Sowore To Presidency
Sowore further compared his experience with President Bola Tinubu’s situation in 1994 during the Abacha regime, stating that Tinubu was accused of treason for allegedly plotting to bomb the Ejigbo depot. He claimed Tinubu fled the country due to those accusations but added, “Unlike him, I won’t run away. I will continue to exercise my right to travel freely.”
Sowore also provided insights into his plans to seek justice and free #Endbadgovernance protesters in preparation for the second phase of the #Fearless# Protests In October.
