Sowore Arrested At Lagos Airport, Released, Seized Passport Returned

Mr Sowore wrote, “I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me.’’

Men of the Nigeria Immigration Service on Sunday arrested the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

He was later released some few minutes later and his seized passport returned to him.

Mr Sowore, who previously wrote about his arrest on Facebook, took to his handle @Omoyele on X formerly Twitter, to disclose his release. He wrote, “I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me.’’

It was gathered that the activist and ex-presidential candidate was earlier detained by the NIS officials upon his arrival in Nigeria.

SaharaReporters reported that Mr Sowore’s flight left the Washington Dulles International Airport at 6.14 EDT and arrived in Lagos at around 9.43 WAT.

According to SaharaReporters, members of the Take It Back Movement and other activists earlier besieged the airport to welcome the activist into the country.

On February 15, 2024, the President Bola Tinubu led-Federal Government expressed its intention to discontinue the treasonable felony case instituted against Mr Sowore and co-defendant, Olawale Bakare aka Mandate, who had both been in and out of court over a lawsuit instituted by the outgone administration of Muhammadu Buhari. 

He left the country not long after to the United States of America to reunite with his family.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported a SSS leaked memo on Thursday, September 12, sanctioning Mr Sowore’s arrest upon his arrival in Nigeria. But the activist was unmoved, maintaining that his intent was to be in the country ‘very soon.’

In an earlier Facebook post after his latest arrest, Mr Sowore wrote that he was detained by immigration and his passport seized.

He wrote, “Detained by the @NigerianImmigration, my International passport (sic) confiscated. I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me. It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober. In case this becomes a prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure all stop tyranny means portable and necessary, engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond.’’

In August, the NIS, based on a directive from the Office of the National Security Adviser and heads of security agencies, placed some individuals on a watch-list over their roles in the August #EndBadGovernance protests against hardship in the country.

It was believed that the name of the ex-presidential candidate of African Action Congress was on the list and would be arrested anytime he returned to the country.