Ahead of the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari for the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA), some activists in the New York City on Thursday, stormed the Nigerian House in New York, United States, to protest against the continued detention of Convener of RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore was arrested in August after convening a protest tagged “Revolution Now” in August, which allegedly called for the removal of the government.
A few protesters brandishing various placards calling for his immediate and unconditional release besieged the Nigeria House located on Kudirat Abiola Corner on 2nd Avenue, New York, denouncing the federal government for allegedly clamping Sowore in jail for daring to speak for the people.
Some of the posters they displayed read: “Free Sowore now, free Nigeria from the shackles of Buhari’s incompetence, Sowore, an advocate of the masses, freedom of speech and to protest is my right,” among others.
Spokesman of the group and Executive Director, Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum Bukola Oreofe, who addressed the audience, said the federal government was breaching human rights by detaining Sowore, who he observed did no wrong.
He said the former presidential candidate’s supporters would not beg for his release even as he announced the group’s intention to welcome President Buhari with another protest next week Thursday.
According to him, Sowore spoke out because he could no longer sit back while Nigeria with all its potentials drifted into tyranny, fascism and totalitarianism and becoming the poverty capital of the world.
Oreofe added: “The corruption continues because there is enough to go around for everybody but we don’t have enough to go around for the greedy. (Nigerian Tribune)