SNWR Demands Immediate Release of Sowore, 13 Others Arrested Over #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest

The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and 13 other protesters arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in Abuja.

In a statement on Thursday signed by its Coordinator, Daniel Akande, the group condemned what it described as the unlawful arrest and detention of Sowore by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to SNWR, “The arrest represents a disgraceful attempt by the ruling class and the arrogant heads of the Nigeria Police Force to silence dissent and crush the rising voices of resistance against bad governance, economic hardship, and state repression.”

The organisation said there was no moral or legal justification for Sowore’s detention, adding that it reflected a pattern of ongoing clampdown on civic space and freedom under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

SNWR also condemned the arrest of 13 peaceful protesters, including a lawyer and brother to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who were allegedly taken into custody and arraigned in Abuja on October 20, 2025.

The group said the protesters were merely exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly while demanding justice for Kanu, who has been in detention for nearly seven years.

The statement read, “Beyond imposing harsh neo-liberal economic measures that have plunged more than 139million into poverty while enriching a privileged few, the administration has now intensified its assault on fundamental freedoms. The detained protesters have since been remanded at Kuje Prison, and we demand their immediate release as well.

“We demand, in all possible terms, the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore. His only ‘offence’ is his courage to speak truth to power and stand with millions of poor and working-class Nigerians suffering under an unjust system that prioritises the comfort of the few over the survival of the many.

“The use of state force to intimidate and detain critics is not only a violation of fundamental human rights but also a reflection of the growing desperation of a government that fears accountability.

“The continued attack on activists, and journalists is a direct assault on the right to freedom of expression and association guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and international law.

“The SNWR stands in unwavering solidarity with Sowore, the 11 detained protesters, and all other political detainees. We call on workers, students, trade unions, civil society groups, and all oppressed Nigerians to rise in unity and demand an end to this authoritarian assault on democratic rights. We affirm that no amount of intimidation can silence the collective struggle for justice, equity, and freedom.”