Sowore And Nigeria’s Growing List Of Political Prisoners

Since assuming office in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari‘s administration has arrested and detained journalists, religious leaders, activists and others that have spoken up against his government.

In May 2019, Amnesty International said that the human rights situation in Nigeria was currently characterised, by serious human rights violations such as extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and other ill-treatment.

SaharaReporters compiles a list of some known political prisoners held arbitrarily by the Nigerian Government.

Omoyele Sowore

The human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner was arrested by the Department of State Services for planning nationwide protests tagged #RevolutionNowto express displeasure against bad governance in Nigeria. He has been detained arbitrarily for 40 days.

Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata)

Dadiyata, who is popular on Twitterfor his vocal criticism of the Kano State Government was seized from his home in Kaduna and has since been kept incommunicado.

Stephen Kefas

Kefas was arrested under the guise of questioning him in Port Harcourt, Rivers State but was soon transferred to Kaduna on the orders of Governor Nasir el-rufai for reposting a Facebook article by SaharaReportersexposing the detention of the “Kajuru 9” elders. He has been held for more than three months.

Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky

El-Zakzaky is the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. He has been in custody of the Nigerian Government since July 2014 despite court orders for his release.

Agba Jalingo

The journalist was arrested by the Nigerian Police Force in August 2019 and has been charged for “treason and involvement with the #RevolutionNowprotests”.

Jalingo has said the real reason he is being held is exposing corruption by the governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade.

Olawale Adebayo (Mandate)

Popularly called Mandate, Olawale a young activist, who joined the #RevolutionNowprotest in Osogbo, Osun State, was arrested by the Department of State Services in August and has since been held incommunicado.

Jones Abiri

Abiri is a journalist, who was re-arrested after a two-year detention without charge by the DSS. He remains in detention.

George Uboh

A whistle-blower, who exposed financial impropriety in the Central Bank of Nigeria was arrested by the Nigerian Government and has been detained without charge since his arrest.