In a dramatic turn of events, Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 election, was arrested and released minutes later on Sunday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.

Sowore, who had arrived in Nigeria from the United States, was detained by immigration authorities, who seized his passport and informed him of orders to detain him. The activist took to social media to share his experience, stating that the arrest was not unexpected, given the government’s clampdown on dissent.

In a post, Sowore wrote: “I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA at MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me. This is not unexpected because I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.”

Sowore’s flight had left Washington Dulles International Airport at 6:14 EDT and arrived in Lagos at around 9:43 am. A leaked DSS memo on Thursday, September 12, 2024, had revealed plans to arrest Sowore upon his arrival in Nigeria.

Despite his brief detention, Sowore remained defiant, urging citizens to engage in a series of direct actions slated for October 1 and beyond, to stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary. His release has sparked relief among supporters, but concerns about the government’s stance on freedom of expression and assembly persist.

The incident has raised questions about the government’s intentions and the extent of its crackdown on dissenting voices. Sowore’s arrest and release have highlighted the ongoing tensions between the government and activists pushing for political and economic reforms in Nigeria.