Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate from the African Action Congress in the 2023 elections, faced a brief detention by the Nigerian Immigration Service upon his arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday. Reports from Drivetvnews indicate that this incident happened while members of the Take It Back Movement and other supporters were at the airport to greet him.
Sowore had recently traveled from the United States, where he had been visiting family. He departed from Washington Dulles International Airport at 6:14 AM EDT and landed in Lagos around 9:43 AM WAT.
In a telephone conversation with Vanguard, Sowore confirmed that his detention included the confiscation of his passport. He noted that the immigration officials did not provide a clear reason for the detention but mentioned that they were following higher orders and needed further instructions from Abuja.
Sowore later posted on his official X account about the incident, stating, “Upon my arrival in Nigeria from the USA at MMIA, Lagos, my passport was seized, and I was detained. This seems part of a wider crackdown by the current administration against dissent and their concern over the upcoming #FearlessINOctober movement.”
He called on citizens to oppose tyranny through planned direct actions starting October 1st and beyond.
Sowore later updated his X account with news of his release, writing, “I have been released by Nigerian Immigration after a short detention, and my passport has been returned. #RevolutionNow.”
