The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has condemned the arrest and detention of Omoyele Sowore at the behest of the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, describing it as “a miscarriage of justice and an abuse of state power.”
In a statement shared on Thursday, Obi said “When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but the moral conscience of the nation.”
According to him, he was “deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Mr. Omoyele Sowore @YeleSowore yesterday, shortly after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Nigerian Police Force.
“At the time of writing, no clear or credible charges have been made public, which further casts a troubling shadow over the nature and motivation behind his detention.”
He added that “his arrest, particularly under circumstances where he presented himself in good faith to law enforcement, should be condemned by all who value justice and due process.
“From all indications, no urgency or criminal flight risk warranted such high-handed treatment.”
According to the former Anambra State governor, “To detain a citizen who came of his own accord, without the public disclosure of clear, lawful charges, is not only a miscarriage of justice but an abuse of state power.”
Citing Plato, he said, “Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as it first resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.
“When those entrusted with power act unjustly, they poison not only the legal order but the moral conscience of the nation.”
Obi urged the authorities to act within the bounds of justice: “I therefore call on the Nigerian Police to immediately release Omoyele Sowore or charge him formally under the law.
“Anything short of this would be a further erosion of public trust in the nation’s law enforcement institutions.”
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