Obi to Police: Free Sowore or Charge Him, Stop Eroding Public Trust
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the arrest of activist and politician Omoyele Sowore, urging the Nigeria Police Force to either release him immediately or formally charge him in court.
In a post on his official X handle on Friday, Obi expressed concern over the troubling circumstances surrounding Sowore’s detention, emphasizing that he was arrested despite voluntarily honouring a police invitation.“I was deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr Omoyele Sowore yesterday, shortly after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force,” Obi wrote.
He noted that no clear or credible charges had been made public, raising serious questions about the motivation behind the arrest and its implications for due process and civil liberties.“To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power,” he added.
The former Anambra State Governor warned that such actions by law enforcement agencies could undermine public confidence in the justice system and democratic institutions.
Quoting the ancient philosopher Plato, Obi reminded authorities that justice in governance must begin with the moral integrity of its leaders.“When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but also the moral conscience of the nation,” he stated.
Obi called on the police to either charge Sowore according to the law or release him immediately, stressing that anything less would represent a serious violation of the rule of law.“It is our collective duty to insist that the rule of law must apply to all citizens – regardless of ideology, background, or political alignment,” he concluded.
