Security operatives clashed with human rights activist Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, February 24, 2025. The altercation occurred as security agents from the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blocked access to the court, preventing individuals, including lawyers, from entering.
Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, arrived at the court for a legal matter but was stopped at the entrance. Despite explaining that he had a case to attend, security agents insisted on preventing him from entering. Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also confronted him, demanding details of his case.
Sowore Faces Cybercrime Charges Amid Support from NBA President
In a video that has since gone viral, Sowore was seen challenging the EFCC officers, stating, “You are not an officer of the court; you are an EFCC officer. You have no business standing in front of the court.”
He further insisted that the security officers either call a court official or allow him access. The officers refused and forcibly pushed him away from the premises before a police officer intervened and permitted him to enter.
Sowore condemned the security agents’ actions, stating that no legal order barred him from attending court. He accused them of overstepping their mandate and referenced the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, asking, “Do I look like Yahaya Bello to you?”
Bello is facing corruption charges for allegedly misappropriating billions of naira while in office. His trial has been marked by dramatic encounters between his security team and EFCC operators.
Following the confrontation, Sowore took to his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the Nigerian justice system. He wrote:
“The justice system in Nigeria has been hijacked by uniformed, uncouth security agents ranging from @OfficialDSSNG, @PoliceNG, and @CivilDefenceNGR.
Today, they mounted illegally in front of the court, harassing everybody because of a thief, Yahaya Bello @officialgybkogi.
The same Yahaya Bello they couldn’t apprehend for months; even lawyers were harassed, and the @NigBarAssoc should stop this nonsense.”
Chidi Odinkalu Criticizes Babangida’s Autobiography, Calls It ‘A Book of Lies’
Yahaya Bello was scheduled to appear before the High Court in Maitama, Abuja, for the continuation of his trial over multi-billion-naira fraud allegations.
The EFCC had arraigned him in November 2024 under heavy security. His case continues to draw public attention due to the scale of the allegations and the security measures surrounding his court appearances.