Sowore's detention: Another nail in Nigeria's rule of law coffin

Yesterday, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court ordered Omoyele Sowore to be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his application for a stay of execution. This is the same Sowore whose bail was revoked over what many see as politically motivated charges. SERAP has now called for his immediate release, stating that he is being detained solely for peacefully exercising his fundamental rights.

Let us be clear about what is happening here. The government is using criminal defamation and cybercrime laws to silence a political opponent. SERAP's Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, put it well when he said there is an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression, assembly, and media freedom. This is not about justice. This is about power. The same playbook they used against Nnamdi Kanu is being deployed against Sowore.

We must ask ourselves: if a presidential candidate can be locked up on such flimsy grounds, what hope is there for the ordinary Nigerian who criticizes the government? The judiciary must decide whether it is a shield for citizens or a sword for the powerful. What will be your answer when this same system comes for you?