Press Statement: CORE Stands Against Threats to the Life and Safety of Sowore

PRESS STATEMENT: 

Coalition for Revolution CORE receives the report of death and re-incarceration threats against Omoyele Sowore with grave concern. Sowore is National Chair of the African Action Congress and a leader of CORE. In utter contempt of court rulings, the regime’s secret police kept him detained for almost five months last year. This was for his leading role in our launch of the RevolutionNow campaign, which a competent court of law has equally ruled as not only legitimate but also within our constitutional rights.

The Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) led regime has since then kept him restricted to Abuja under absurdly stringent bail conditions. This was after a show of shame where security personnel stormed the supposedly hallowed chambers of the court last December to re-arrest him after they were initially forced to release him.

Coming on the heels of the state’s draconian crackdown on poor Nigerians described as “looters” for reclaiming COVID-19 palliatives, and EndSARS protests promoters, this palpable threat is worrisome and must be confronted by all well-meaning persons and civic organisations, home and abroad. The government should rather be compelled to lift the extra-incarceration detention of Sowore which unjustly limits him to the federal capital territory.

The rash of repressive measures of the state against the people includes freezing of the bank accounts of twenty citizens, placing “no-fly” instructions to ban EndSARS promoters from travelling out of the country and seizing the passports of those like Ms Modupe Odele who attempted to fly. CORE activists like Olawale Mandate Bakare, who was also charged with Sowore has been chase around Osogbo by security forces as if he were a criminal. These make the news, muted as it still might be, of intentions to kill or rearrest Omoyele Sowore quite credible. 

To make things absolutely clear to the government, CORE will not tolerate any attack or trumped up charges being levelled against Comrade Sowore. We call on trade unions, professional associations and all other civil society organisations including human rights bodies nationally and globally to callout the regime and demand it desists from threats to the life and wellbeing of ‘Yele Sowore and every state sponsored attacks on activists forthwith. 

*Baba AYE*

Co-convener, CORE

*Gbenga KOMOLAFE*

Co-convener, CORE

12/11/2020