The OYC in a statement said the continued incarceration of Sowore by the Department of State Services despite two court orders directing his freedom was a gross violation and abuse of his human rights.
A group, the Oodua Youth Coalition, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to release pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, from detention.
The OYC in a statement said the continued incarceration of Sowore by the Department of State Services despite two court orders directing his freedom was a gross violation and abuse of his human rights.
According to the group, President Buhari should tender an apology to Nigerians for breaching the rights of the journalist.
The statement reads, “Oodua Youth Coalition calls for the unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore, journalist and publisher of Sahara Reporters who was rearrested by the State Security Services on December 6, 2019 after reluctantly releasing him the night before after detaining him for over four months.
"We call for the withdrawal of the terrorist and militant tag placed on him by spokespersons of the government.
"It is worrisome that the government Buhari has thrown caution to the wind and now doing everything to gag freedom of speech.
"OYC demands the immediate release of Sowore, an apology from the government for tagging him a terrorist and compensation for detaining him illegally.”
Sowore was first arrested on August 3, 2019 by operatives of the DSS in Lagos for calling on citizens to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from Buhari’s administration.
In charges that have been described as baseless and laughable by observers around the world, the government is accusing Sowore of insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his government.
But despite two court orders directing his freedom on bail, the 48-year-old journalist remains in detention – a glaring breach of his fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and several conventions the country is a signatory to.