The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general election who is also notable activist, Omoyele Sowore, has indicated that he was briefly detained at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday upon his return from the United States.
Sowore wruting on his X account (formerly Twitter), explained that immigration officials seized his passport and informed him they were acting on orders to detain him.
He suggested that the incident was part of a larger government effort to suppress dissent.
“This is not unexpected because I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist regime on dissent,” Sowore stated, referring to his ongoing activism, including the #RevolutionNow movement.
After a short period in detention, Sowore was released, and his passport was returned.
In response to his detention, Sowore called on citizens to resist tyranny through planned direct actions, starting on October 1st, signaling ongoing tensions between the government and activists.
“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,” he said.
“This is not un expected because I have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.
“In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond.
“I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me.”
However, the circumstances surrounding the order for his detention remain unclear. Some reports indicate that the Department of State Services (DSS) may have been involved, but they are yet to confirm or deny these claims.