The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the repeated arrest and detention of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, warning that such actions risk returning Nigeria to a dictatorship where dissent is crushed.

In a statement signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the union described Sowore as a “moral compass” whose harassment reflects a dangerous slide towards authoritarian rule.

“We strongly condemn the frequent arrest and prolonged detention of Sowore, a renowned civil rights activist. It is even more unacceptable if, as alleged, he was injured during his arrest,” Ajaero said.

He warned that the continued repression of activists would threaten the rights of all Nigerians:
“If the state can arbitrarily detain Sowore today, no journalist, trade unionist, activist, or ordinary citizen is safe tomorrow. We cannot allow Nigeria to slide back into the dark days of dictatorship, where fear replaces freedom and dissent is met with brute force.”

The NLC called on the government to respect constitutional rights to freedom of speech and association, insisting that “government, like all citizens, must be law-abiding not only when it suits it, but unconditionally.”

Reports indicate that Sowore sustained injuries during an alleged attempt by police to transfer him from his detention cell to court on Thursday. Amnesty International claimed that officers from the Force Intelligence Department assaulted him at around 6:00 a.m. and moved him to an undisclosed location in Abuja.

A post on Sowore’s verified Facebook page, managed by an associate, alleged that a police team led by a Chief Superintendent of Police from the IGP Monitoring Unit forcibly entered his cell, broke his right hand, and took him away. Sowore was reportedly detained after honouring a police invitation.

Former Vice-President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also condemned the arrest, describing it as a “shameful abuse of power” and a personal vendetta. He argued that the IGP “cannot be both a complainant and the force behind the arrest,” citing Nigeria Police Regulation 367, which prohibits officers from initiating legal proceedings in matters arising from their official duties.

Atiku said: “Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. This is not about Sowore alone; it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power.”