The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has faulted the arrest and detention of the national chairman and 2023 presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore by the police.
IPAC, while stressing that freedom of speech is a fundamental right of all citizens, noted that democracy will strive if the people express their views without fear of Police arrest, detention and brutality.
It added that the Police should have charged him to court if a prima facie case was established against him.
Recall that Sowore, was on Monday night detained by the police authorities in Abuja after refusing to accept bail conditions imposed on him after interrogation.
Sowore was summoned by the Police to address multiple allegations, including resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking and actions allegedly intended to prevent arrests.
However a Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned ruling on his bail application filed in the alleged cybercrime offences until Thursday.
Justice Musa Liman adjourned the matter on Wednesday after Sowore’s counsel, Marshall Abubakar, and the prosecution lawyer, Uddy Jonathan, argued their case for and against the request.
Reacting to the detention, the national publicity secretary of IPAC, Mrs Chinyere Oge-Kalu, reacting to the continued detention of Sowore in Abuja yesterday said the body had been notified of the “Police invitation to the African Action Congress (AAC) national chairman and its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore which he honoured at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) Abuja on Monday 27th January 2025, and was detained after interrogation for failure to meet stringent bail condition including a surety who must be a civil servant on Grade Level 16, which was unacceptable to him.”
The council, therefore, demanded his unconditional release as his continued detention is a flagrant violation of his fundamental right as provided for in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“In the alternative, the Police should charge him to court if a prima facie case is established against him. Presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of criminal law guaranteed by the Constitution. In the circumstance, Sowore remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, this applies to all citizens,” she said.
She urged the Police to discharge its statutory duties within the ambit of the law and should not arrogate to itself extra-constitutional powers.
“It is in the interest of justice, fair play, equity and good conscience to release the party leader immediately or charge him to court.
“Council calls on President Bola Tinubu to intervene on this matter as Sowore has repeatedly said that his ordeal is because of his opposition to the extension of the Inspector General of Police’s tenure and demand for accountability.
“Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of all citizens. Our democracy will strive if the people express their views without fear of Police arrest, detention and brutality,” she said.
