In a statement on Wednesday, Bass, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to respect rule of law and due process, said, “Nigerian citizens have the right to exercise civil liberties without harassment and arbitrary arrest.
Karen Bass, a member of the United States House of Representative, has expressed shock over the rearrest of journalist, Omoyele Sowore, in court by the Department of State Services.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bass, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to respect rule of law and due process, said, “Nigerian citizens have the right to exercise civil liberties without harassment and arbitrary arrest.
“I am alarmed by the rearrest of Mr Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, just hours after their release, especially the violent manner in which this all was conducted.
“There are currently numerous journalists and activists in detention in the country.
“I am increasingly concerned about Nigeria’s attacks on freedom of expression. Nigeria’s own rule of law and due process must be respected.”
Sowore was rearrested on December 6 by the DSS at the Federal High Court, Abuja, barely 24-hours after he was released on bail.
This was after he had spent 125 days in detention for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Buhari.
The Nigerian Government is accusing him of insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his regime.
Despite being rearrested and thrown in unlawful detention for two weeks now, the 48-year-old journalist is yet to be told the reason for his rearrest and continued incarceration after two court orders directing his freedom on bail.