By Dayo Adesulu | The Cheer News
For more than three decades, Omoyele Sowore — journalist, activist, founder of Sahara Reporters and former ACC presidential candidate has remained one of Nigeria’s most unyielding voices for truth and justice. From military juntas to democratic governments, Sowore’s activism has cost him freedom, comfort, and even safety. Yet, his resolve to challenge tyranny, expose corruption, and demand accountability has made him one of the most persecuted, yet respected figures in Nigeria’s modern political history.
A Student Leader Who Defied Babangida’s Regime
Sowore’s activism began during his undergraduate days at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he served as President of the Students’ Union Government between 1992 and 1994. His leadership coincided with General Ibrahim Babangida’s military dictatorship, an era defined by repression and student uprisings.
When Sowore mobilized students to protest the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election and the killing of demonstrators by state forces, the government struck back. In 1992, Babangida expelled Sowore from UNILAG for leading nationwide student protests that paralyzed several universities. That marked the beginning of a long, painful journey — one that turned a young student leader into a symbol of resistance.
Arrested by Abacha, Harassed by Abdulsalami
Barely a year after his expulsion, Nigeria’s most brutal dictator, General Sani Abacha, arrested Sowore in 1993 for organizing pro-democracy protests under the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). He was detained and tortured, yet refused to recant his calls for an end to military rule.
Even after Abacha’s death in 1998, Sowore’s freedom was short-lived. Under General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s transitional government, he was again arrested during the National University Games Association (NUGA) event in Lagos. His crime? Mobilizing students to resist corruption and demand democratic reforms.
Sahara Reporters and the War Against Corruption
In 2006, after relocating to the United States, Sowore founded Sahara Reporters, a digital investigative platform that became the scourge of corrupt Nigerian elites. The platform exposed political scandals, human rights abuses, and misuse of public funds with unflinching courage.
However, Sahara Reporters’ fearless reporting soon put Sowore in the crosshairs of powerful figures. That same year, then-President Olusegun Obasanjo and former FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai filed a defamation suit against him after he published an explosive interview with Gbenga Obasanjo, the president’s son which exposed the controversial third term agenda.
By 2007, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua banned Sahara Reporters in Nigeria, attempting to silence its growing influence. The ban only fueled Sowore’s resolve to continue exposing the truth from abroad.
Reno Omokri, Jonathan, and the Attempted U.S. Lawsuit
In 2014, during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, one of his aides, Reno Omokri, allegedly attempted to bankrupt Sahara Reporters through a U.S.-based lawsuit. The case was designed to cripple Sowore financially. However, it collapsed after Jonathan lost the 2015 election, ending yet another chapter in the long list of political reprisals against him.
Saraki’s Legal Ambush and Financial Strangulation
In 2017, then Senate President Bukola Saraki sued Sahara Reporters in a Kwara State High Court after the outlet published investigative stories alleging corruption and abuse of office. The court, in what critics described as a questionable judgment — ruled in Saraki’s favor, freezing Sahara Reporters’ bank accounts for a year. It was an apparent effort to choke the publication financially and deter its independent journalism.
The Buhari Years: Treason Charges and Brutal Detention
The persecution reached a new peak in 2019 when President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration arrested Sowore for launching the #RevolutionNow protest — a nationwide call for better governance. The Department of State Services (DSS) detained him without trial, charging him with treason, money laundering, and cyberstalking the President.
Despite public outrage and several court orders for his release, the DSS kept him in custody for months. Videos of masked agents re-arresting Sowore inside a courtroom shocked the nation and drew global condemnation. Amnesty International later declared him a Prisoner of Conscience.
Tinubu’s Era: Watchlist, Passport Seizure, and Cybercrime Arrest
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in 2023, many expected a reprieve for opposition figures like Sowore, given Tinubu’s own history as a pro-democracy activist during the NADECO era. Instead, Sowore found himself placed on an immigration watchlist.
By 2025, the persecution took a new dimension. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered Sowore’s arrest under controversial “cybercrime” charges. His international passport was seized — effectively grounding him in Nigeria. Critics saw it as another attempt to silence one of the government’s most relentless critics.
A Legacy of Defiance and Endurance
Whether one admires or dislikes him, Omoyele Sowore stands as a rare figure in Nigeria’s political landscape — a man who has faced almost every administration’s wrath yet refuses to bow. His journey mirrors that of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, both men embodying courage in the face of oppression.
Sowore’s lifelong defiance has earned him admiration among young Nigerians, especially those disillusioned by corruption and bad governance. His unrelenting pursuit of justice, transparency, and democracy continues to inspire a new generation of activists demanding accountability in Africa’s largest democracy.
Conclusion: The Man Who Refuses to Be Silenced
Omoyele Sowore’s story is not just about resistance, it’s about resilience. He has endured expulsion, imprisonment, torture, exile, and economic sabotage. Yet, he continues to speak truth to power.
From Babangida to Tinubu, every regime has tried to silence him and failed. In the end, Sowore represents something larger than politics: the stubborn belief that Nigeria can, and must, be better.
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