Amnesty International Slams Nigerian Authorities Over Sowore’s Persecution

Global human rights organization Amnesty International has strongly condemned the Nigerian authorities for their relentless harassment and persecution of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore. The organization described the ongoing trial of Sowore on charges of terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities as baseless and politically motivated attempts to silence him.

A Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered six banks to provide the police with details of bank accounts linked to Sowore and his companies as part of an investigation into alleged terrorism funding and money laundering.

Amnesty International sees this as part of a wider attempt to crack down on civic space and peaceful dissent in Nigeria.

The human rights organization is calling on the Nigerian authorities to immediately drop all charges against Sowore and end the investigation.

“Nigerian authorities must allow Sowore to freely exercise his human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association,” Amnesty International stressed.

Sowore, who was declared Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience in 2019, has faced repeated arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions, and other human rights violations for his peaceful activism.

The organization believes that the latest findings against Sowore are an attempt to target an independent media outlet that upholds freedom of expression and the public interest.