HAWORTH, N.J.—After being briefly freed by a Nigerian Court Dec. 5, Omoyele Sowore—a Haworth resident, journalist and human rights activist imprisoned since early August—was re-arrested Dec. 6 by Nigerian state police after they wrestled him to the floor following his release.
The judge who released him fled the courtroom for her own safety and Sowore was forcibly taken into custody again by Nigerian state police forces.
The local community has rallied in calling for Sowore to be released, and a United States Senator from New Jersey is now also advocating for his freedom in a mounting public pressure campaign.
On Dec. 5, Sowore was ordered released and met with his lawyer—but when he returned to court on Dec. 6 to answer charges from his original Aug. 3 arrest , he was re-arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) police.
Sowore was to be tried on charges of treason after he was arrested initially while trying to organize a pro-democracy protest in August. He was held in prison for months before formal charges were lodged against him by the Nigerian government.
Charges pending include treason, money-laundering and cyber-stalking for supposedly sharing false and insulting information about the Nigerian president. Sowore denies all charges.
News reports broadcast on national and international television networks Dec. 6 showed Sowore being pushed and shoved to the floor, along with a co-defendant, who both remain in custody of the DSS.
Sowore is a former Nigerian presidential candidate and founder of Sahara Reporters, an online news agency often critical of government corruption and malfeasance.
In a Dec. 10 update, the Committee to Protect Journalists called on Nigerian authorities to halt all efforts to intimidate journalists working with the U.S.-headquartered, Nigeria-focused Sahara Reporters, saying the company’s Nigerian bank account was frozen without advance notice in October, significantly hindering their operations. The website was separately disabled twice, the CPJ said.
“Surveillance, cyberattacks, and copyright notices against Sahara Reporters mark a concerning pattern of interference and harassment of an investigative news outlet,” said CPJ.
Before his arrest on Aug. 3, Sowore used his Twitter account to urge residents to rise up against Nigerian government oppression via a pro-Democracy protest.
A chaotic courtroom scene
In video footage broadcast internationally and online, Sowore is seen being manhandled by security forces following the judge’s order to release him from an Abuja courtroom on Dec. 6.
“Today was a turning point in Nigeria’s history, unlike anything its democracy has ever seen. In just 24 hours, the world witnessed Nigeria’s democracy disintegrate further with a gross misuse of power and outrageous display of lawlessness,” said wife Opeyemi Sowore, during a press conference with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez on Dec. 6 in Newark.
Sowore said the Nigerian government “has shown us repeatedly their irrational conduct and extreme inability to follow the rule of law… [Omoyele’s] life depends on a global outcry, your advocacy and intervention,” said Opeyemi.
She said following the judge’s release of Sowore on Dec. 6—in which she had adjourned court until Feb. 11, 2020—“chaos ensued” and “armed DSS operatives strangled and forcefully harmed Yele in an attempt to re-arrest him…with brutal force, the DSS operatives were successful in taking my husband again.”
His family and wife recently witnessed hundreds of Haworth neighbors showing community-wide support by praying, and tying nearly 100 yellow ribbons— called “yele” ribbons in his honor—around a downtown tree to show unity and call for his immediate return to the United States.
The yellow ribbons—a universal symbol of remembrance and message for his successful return home—are added to every single day Sowore stays imprisoned.
‘A global outcry’
At a Dec. 6 press conference, Sen. Robert Menendez joined Opeyemi to call for his immediate release.
He said Sowore “was arbitrarily re-arrested” by Nigerian police after his court-ordered release.
“I am outraged by the blatant harassment of Omoyele Sowore, an activist and journalist whose only crime appears to be exercising his right to free expression,” said Menendez.
“In a concerted effort to secure his release on behalf of the Sowore family living in New Jersey, my office has been working closely with the State Department as Sowore’s case languished following his arbitrary arrest back in August,” he said.
“While we continue to seek immediate answers about Sowore’s treatment and conditions in jail, I will be further engaging directly with U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard in Abuja to raise this case at the highest levels of the Nigerian government so the Buhari Administration gets the message that we are committed to defending Mr. Sowore’s rights and securing his release. This blatant miscarriage of justice is symptomatic of closing political and media space in Nigeria,” said Menendez.
Beyond Sowore’s arrest, critics of Nigeria’s government point to an “alarming threat” to the constitutional right to freedom of speech in Nigeria, specifically two bills nearing passage: a social media bill and hate-speech bill.
Under the social media bill, police could arrest citizens whose posts are believed to threaten national security, sway elections or diminish public confidence in government.
Under the “hate speech” bill, the new law tries to end so-called hate speech by enforcing strict penalties for convicted offenders, including life in prison and hanging.
In addition to proposed laws to impose harsh penalties on government critics, Omoyele’s constitutional rights have been repeatedly violated, said human-rights organizations.
He was detained without being provided access to a lawyer, family or medical personnel for 116 days following initial arrest; the Nigerian secret police twice violated court orders of release; and Opoyele was not allowed to consult with his attorney before his trial date.
A government spokeswoman said Sowore’s arrest was related to his attempt to overthrow the government by inciting revolution against President Muhammadu Bahari. Sowore is also well-known in Nigeria for his popular RevolutionNow movement, known to repeatedly attack President Buhari and Nigeria’s government for its corruption, lack of social services, and general incompetence.
Opeyemi said Omoyele and his news site, Sahara Reporters, have been calling out the government for inaction on social issues, including unemployment and corruption, and intimidation of journalists and citizens.
Omoyele’s mother, Esther Sowore, was visibly upset when she was told by CNN in an interview her son had been re-arrested on Dec. 6.
“I cannot eat, I cannot sleep. It is affecting my health. It has been four months now. I plea to [President] Buhari again in Allah’s name. I plead to him to release my son,” said Esther, who also appealed to President Donald Trump for help in securing Omoyele’s release.
Numerous national and international human rights organizations—plus U.S. legislators—have called for Sowore’s release for months.
This article originally appeared in the Dec. 16 north edition of Northern Valley Press.