Our Reporter, Abuja
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has strongly condemned the arrest of rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, and several other peaceful protesters by the Nigeria Police Force during the recent Free Nnamdi Kanu protest in Abuja.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, and made available to newsmen on Thursday, RULAAC described the arrests as “an affront to democracy and the rule of law,” insisting that peaceful protest is a constitutionally protected right and not a crime.
According to the Police, the protesters were apprehended for allegedly violating a court order restricting demonstrations in certain areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, had claimed that Sowore “led the protesters into a restricted area,” describing his arrest as an act of “fair play.”
However, RULAAC faulted the Police justification, describing it as “legally untenable and deeply troubling.”
“The right to peaceful assembly and expression is guaranteed by Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and reinforced by Articles 9, 10, and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” the statement read.
“These rights cannot be suspended or overridden by any administrative or judicial order inconsistent with the Constitution.”
The group accused the Police and the Federal Government of “selective obedience” to court orders, noting that the same institutions that routinely ignore judicial directives—such as those ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu or compensating victims of human rights violations—now claim to be upholding the law when it suits them.
“It is ironic and hypocritical that the same authorities who flout valid court orders now hide under the cover of a court order to suppress constitutionally protected protests,” RULAAC said.
The organization further warned that criminalizing peaceful protest or targeting activists like Sowore for exercising their rights amounts to an attack on democracy and could push the country toward authoritarianism.
RULAAC therefore demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protesters and urged the Police to desist from violating citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
It also called on the judiciary to “resist being used as an instrument for the suppression of civil liberties,” adding that Nigeria cannot lay claim to being a democratic nation while punishing citizens for demanding justice and accountability.
