Sowore supporters accuse DSS of arresting, injuring activist
June 22, 2026 3:58 pm
FILE: Sowore
Supporters of human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday, accused operatives of the Department of State Services of forcefully arresting the activist despite an order remanding him in a correctional facility.
The allegation came shortly after Justice Mohammed Umar ordered that Sowore be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his application seeking a stay of execution of an earlier order revoking his bail.
The judge also dismissed an application by Sowore seeking his recusal from the case on the grounds of alleged bias and adjourned the matter until June 24 to hear the application for a stay.
Following the proceedings, Sowore’s supporters alleged that DSS operatives forcefully seized him within the court premises, attempting to take him away and injuring him in the process.
A live video streamed on his Facebook Page, Omoyele Sowore, captured the moment an operative of the DSS grabbed him by the waist and dragged him away, while other operatives prevented his loyalists from getting to him.
His supporters had then rushed to the gates, stopping both vehicles and people from entering or leaving the Federal High Court Complex.
The crowd insisted that the court had specifically ordered his remand in a correctional facility, and not in the custody of the Nigeria Police or the DSS.
Speaking with our correspondent, the FCT Chairman of the AAC, Agena Roberts Ande, condemned the actions of the secret police, stating that the DSS must obey the law designed by the government.
“Today we came to court, and as you rightly know, there was an order from the court that Sowore should be provided in court. A bench warrant was given, Sowore accepted, and came to court by himself. Nobody forced him to come to court.
“And then a judgment was given that Sowore should be handed to the Correctional Service. The DSS went behind and kidnapped Sowore in court, even injuring him.
“That is why we all staged here and said no to that impunity. We said the government that designed the rules must obey the rule. If the court gives an order that Sowore should be given to the Correctional Service centre, Sowore should not be given to the police or the DSS,” he said.
Speaking to pressmen earlier, Sowore had stated that he wasn’t surprised by the remand order, adding that when he got out of prison, he would face “these people” headlong.
“Nobody should be surprised. I have predicted before now that all these things would happen. But they are happening for a good reason: somebody must make the sacrifice that will liberate this country.
“I am going to prison, but I will be out. And when I am out, I will be stronger, more ferocious, and face these people headlong. That is my message to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over alleged criminal defamation after he reportedly described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal” in posts on his X and Facebook accounts, an allegation to which the activist had pleaded not guilty.
The court had, on June 16, revoked Sowore’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for the continuation of his trial.
Nathaniel Shaibu is a correspondent at The PUNCH with three years of professional journalism experience. He covers the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), civil society, religion, and the Ministries of Women Affairs and Youth Development. In addition to his primary beats, Nathaniel also reports on politics, metro, security, and judicial matters, bringing clarity and balance to a wide range of public-interest stories. His work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, strong beat knowledge, and a commitment to accurate, responsible journalism.
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