A former United States of America’s Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has stated that the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigerian authorities is a poor representation of the country to the incoming Joe Biden’s administration.
Campbell, who is now the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow For Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington D.C., stated this in his tweet on Tuesday.
The arrest of Nigerian journalist and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore is a poor representation of Nigeria to the incoming Biden administration. https://t.co/dFB8cL0uTt
— CFR Africa Program (@CFR_Africa) January 5, 2021
Sowore alongside four other activists had been arrested on the New Year’s Eve during a crossover protest in Abuja and brutalised by the policemen.
They had been clamped in detention for five days before being arraigned in court on Monday on trumped-up charges by the police.
Both national and international groups, including the Amnesty International, had called on the Nigerian government to respect the rights of the activists and release them unconditionally.
The Country Director, Amnesty International, Osai Ojigho, while speaking with SaharaReporters, had stated, “Our position is always clear in matters like this; since the authorities have him in their possession, they should respect the constitution which is very clear. If you arrest someone based on a known crime, charge the person within 24 or 48 hours as the case may be.
“But most importantly, they should ensure that his human rights are respected throughout this process and comply with the constitution and International human rights laws.”