Sowore Decries Disunity, Condemns Second-Class Treatment of Nigerians

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has condemned what he described as Nigeria’s deepening disunity and systemic discrimination against some groups, warning that the country cannot truly be united while many citizens continue to suffer second-class treatment.

Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during the 2025 end-of-year celebration of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo (Ondo State chapter), Sowore lamented that injustice and ethnic bias remain entrenched in the Nigerian system.

He maintained that true national unity cannot exist without fairness and equality, stressing that “no nation built on oppression can claim to be united.”

> “We cannot have unity without justice,” Sowore said.
“We cannot preach unity while some Nigerians are treated as superior and others as inferior. There can be no peace in a country where people’s businesses are demolished because of their ethnicity.”

The activist also criticised the alleged double standards in government’s treatment of citizens, saying that terrorists are often handled more leniently than those demanding freedom and justice.

> “Terrorists are treated better than freedom fighters. I am referring to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and others struggling for the self-determination of their people,” he said.
“There is no crime in seeking justice or self-determination. Nigeria was not created by Nigerians but by the British. If we must remain one, we must respect every Nigerian equally.”



Sowore, who has consistently advocated for Kanu’s release, accused the Federal Government of detaining the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader for over five years without clearly defining his alleged offences.

He also berated the political class for ignoring citizens’ suffering until foreign powers intervene, cautioning leaders against seeking foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.


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Police Declare Sowore Wanted

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has declared Sowore wanted over an alleged plan to incite public unrest and obstruct traffic on major roads in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, announced this yesterday while briefing journalists at Iyana-Oworo, near the Third Mainland Bridge, where security operatives had earlier disrupted a planned protest.

However, Sowore dismissed the police declaration as an act of intimidation, claiming the authorities were trying to silence him.

In a post on his verified social media page, the activist revealed that he had made several attempts to reach the Commissioner of Police, who allegedly ignored his calls.

> “This is a desperate attempt to distort facts and suppress legitimate activism,” Sowore wrote.
“I have tried to reach the Lagos CP several times, but he refuses to answer. They are only trying to create a false narrative around what happened in Oworonshoki.”

The activist insisted that he remains committed to peaceful advocacy and would not be deterred by police actions or political pressure.