The 2023 African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was briefly detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Sunday morning.
The activist and political figure was released shortly after, with his passport returned.
Sowore, who had flown in from Washington, D.C., landed in Lagos at 9:43 AM local time. He was detained by immigration officials shortly after arriving, with his passport confiscated. Reports suggest that the arrest followed a directive from the Department of State Services.
In a social media post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore confirmed his release, stating, “I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport returned to me.”
He further explained the events that transpired upon his arrival, saying, “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.”
A leaked DSS memo reportedly contained instructions to arrest Sowore upon his return to Nigeria, though no official statement has been made regarding the reasons behind the detention.
The activist, known for his vocal criticism of the government, linked the incident to his political activities, particularly the upcoming #FearlessINOctober protests scheduled for October 1. He referred to the situation as part of a “broader clampdown” on dissent by the current administration.
“This is not unexpected,” Sowore said. “I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist regime on dissent.”
In his post, Sowore called on Nigerians to resist oppression, stating, “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.”
