Sowore Storms Police HQ with Travel Bag, Demands Clarity Over Petition

Human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, arrived at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon — not just with his lawyers, but with a packed travel bag in tow.

At exactly 12:16 p.m., Sowore walked into the complex flanked by his legal team, Barristers A.K. Musa and Marshal Abubakar, and a wave of chanting supporters from the Take It Back Movement and other activist groups.

His bag wasn’t just for show. Inside were essentials — toothpaste, soap, clothes, books — a symbolic message: if detention was the plan, he was ready.

The activist had been summoned by the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit over a petition reportedly filed against him — one his supporters are calling both suspicious and politically motivated.

Outside the headquarters, tension was high. Protesters issued a two-hour ultimatum to the police, warning of consequences if Sowore wasn’t released.

“If they refuse to release Sowore, then they must arrest us with him. We are not going to leave here. This is 12:16 p.m., and after two hours, if they fail to release him, then they have to arrest all of us,” said Princess Mikky, convener of #NUDE NIGERIA.

Rex Elanu of the Take It Back Movement echoed the anger, calling the police invitation an act of vengeance:

“It is shameful that the Inspector General of Police has resorted to vendetta against Sowore, who has consistently spoken truth to power. We will continue to liberate Nigerians from the bondage of bad governance, including that of the Nigeria Police.”

The protest leaders urged Nigerians to stand against what they described as a campaign of illegality and persecution.

Sowore had initially dismissed the police summons as “defective and riddled with legal errors,” questioning both its legality and motive. While the first accusation read “inciting disturbance” — a term not recognised under Nigerian law — it was later changed to “forgery and criminal defamation.”

Still, the police have not revealed the identity of the petitioner or served Sowore with any formal charge.

Critics view the episode as part of a broader pattern — one where state machinery is allegedly used to stifle dissent, silence activism, and punish opposition voices.