A legal analyst and public affairs commentator, Asukwo Etim Onwih, has condemned the arrest of human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, within the premises of the Kuje Magistrate Court, describing the act as a “blatant abuse of judicial power” and a “direct assault on democracy.”
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, Onwih said the incident represented a growing trend of disregard for the rule of law and the sanctity of the judiciary in Nigeria.
“A court of law is not just a building; it is a symbol of justice, fairness, and democracy. Any act that undermines its authority or desecrates its sanctity strikes directly at the heart of our justice system,” Onwih said.
He warned that the manner in which Sowore was re-arrested inside the court premises by police operatives “sends a dangerous message that the judiciary can be violated without consequence.”
According to him, such actions intimidate citizens, erode public confidence in judicial independence, and amount to contempt of court.
“No law enforcement agency has the right to carry out arrests or intimidation within court premises without the authorization of the presiding judge. To do so is contemptuous and an outright abuse of judicial power,” he stated.
Onwih urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society groups, and human rights defenders to take a unified stand against what he described as “creeping authoritarianism” and the “politicization of law enforcement.”
He stressed that the judiciary must remain a neutral ground — not a place where individuals are harassed or unlawfully detained.
“The judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, must not become a battlefield where security operatives display power or carry out political instructions,” he said.
Calling for an immediate investigation into the incident, Onwih insisted that allowing such violations to go unpunished would embolden future abuses and further weaken the moral authority of the courts.
“The arrest of Sowore within the court premises is not only an insult to the judiciary but also a direct assault on democracy. No democracy can thrive when its courts are desecrated and citizens live in fear of arbitrary power,” he concluded.