Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Monday, engaged operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in a heated confrontation at the Federal High Court in Abuja after a judge revoked his bail and ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The development followed Sowore’s appearance in court in an ongoing case involving allegations that he insulted President Bola Tinubu by describing him as a ‘criminal’.
However, videos circulating on social media showed moment Sowore was resisting attempts by DSS operatives to forcefully escort him from the court premises.
In one of the videos, Sowore questioned why security officials wanted to transport him in a “Black Maria” vehicle instead of a regular prison van.
“When you are taking people to prison, you put them in a van. Why do you want to put me in a Black Maria? Black Maria. What did I do wrong? Even if you want the DSS to follow us, let them give us one van, but don’t put me in a Black Maria,” he said.
Another video showed DSS operatives and Sowore exchanging words before officials forcefully escorted him towards a waiting vehicle outside the court premises.
Supporters of the activist, who were present at the scene, also engaged in verbal exchanges with the security operatives as tensions rose shortly after the court proceedings.
The incident has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with supporters and critics expressing differing views on the manner of his arrest and transportation from the court to prison.
Activist Sowore has consistently maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissenting voices by the Tinubu government.
