Rights activist Omoyele Sowore has announced that his passport has been returned to him by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). This development follows an earlier incident where Sowore claimed his passport was seized during an attempt to leave the country.
In a tweet shared on Friday evening, he confirmed, “The #nigimmigration has since released my International passport, and I flew out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport shortly after the encounter.”
Sowore, who was the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress in the 2023 election, has been vocal about what he describes as repeated harassment and violations of his rights by immigration officials. Earlier, he expressed his frustrations, stating, “The Nigerian Immigration Service #nigimmigration continues to subject me to unwarranted harassment and abuse. Violating my rights repeatedly.” His experiences have raised concerns among his supporters and human rights advocates.
The activist further detailed the incident leading to his passport’s seizure, alleging that he was stopped at the airport due to being placed on a “WATCHLIST.” In a video that circulated online, Sowore can be seen questioning an NIS officer and requesting to speak with a superior, highlighting the tensions that often accompany his interactions with Nigerian authorities.
This recent episode is not the first instance of Sowore facing challenges related to his travel documents. In February 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed treasonable felony charges against him and his associate, Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate. These charges stemmed from their planned nationwide protest, #RevolutionNow, which was organized in 2019 against the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The legal battles and harassment Sowore has endured reflect broader issues regarding freedom of expression and political dissent in Nigeria. The NIS’s actions, particularly in the context of stopping him at the airport, have been interpreted as part of a systematic effort to silence dissenting voices within the country.
