Renowned activist and leader of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has been released by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) after a brief detention at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following his arrival from the United States.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore disclosed that his international passport was confiscated by immigration officers, who informed him they had orders to detain him.
The outspoken activist, however, expressed that the development was not unexpected, given his consistent opposition to the current administration.
“This is not unexpected because I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist [Bola Tinubu] regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessInOctober revolt,” Sowore stated in his message.
Sowore, who has been a vocal critic of the government, used the opportunity to rally citizens ahead of the planned #RevolutionNow protests. He urged Nigerians to resist tyranny and support the upcoming series of direct actions scheduled for October 1st and beyond.
“In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond,” he further declared, calling on citizens to unite in the fight against “bad governance.”
Sowore’s release came after what he described as a grilling by immigration officials, with no official statement yet from the Nigerian Immigration Service on the reasons for his detention.