Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate suspension, arrest, and prosecution of Senator Ned Nwoko over a string of grave allegations, including cross-border sex trafficking, intimidation, unlawful detention, and the alleged weaponisation of the Nigeria Police Force for personal disputes.
Sowore made the demand in a 10-minute, 59-second video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, insisting that the public outcry over the senator’s actions “goes far beyond the unlawful detention” of Samuel Ojeogwu, popularly known as Sammy West, the brother of actress Regina Daniels.
According to Sowore, the controversies surrounding the lawmaker reveal “a larger, troubling pattern involving the exploitation of underage girls across borders and the misuse of state power.”
The activist accused the senator—whom he repeatedly described as misusing his influence—of maintaining longstanding, oppressive relationships with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
“This so-called billionaire was just throwing people in prison,” Sowore said, alleging that during one of his own detentions, he encountered nine individuals from Nwoko’s community who were allegedly imprisoned at the senator’s instigation. He further recalled a case involving a woman who publicly accused Nwoko of detaining her father.
Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, argued that holding public officials accountable is a civic obligation.
“Anybody who is a public figure, who is in political office, our duty is to hold them to account, no matter how powerful they are,” he said.
The most serious accusations concern alleged sexual exploitation involving minors. Sowore claimed that Nwoko had engaged in international sex trafficking by bringing “underage girls from places like Morocco to Nigeria.”
He also doubled down on longstanding public debate over Regina Daniels’ age at the time of her marriage to Nwoko, accusing the senator of marrying her while she was still 17 and of allegedly manipulating official documents to obscure her true age.
“The international passport with which Ned traveled extensively with Regina shows she was 17 at the time of their marriage,” he said, alleging the subsequent procurement of a voter’s card as cover.
Sowore argued that Nigeria’s Child Rights Act and international obligations criminalize such arrangements, regardless of parental consent or the status of the individuals involved.
The activist also recounted the arrest of TikToker Timothy Gabriel (known as Turmar), who had alleged that Regina Daniels’ children were not fathered by Nwoko. Sowore accused the senator of ordering Turmar’s arrest through the FCT Police Command, leading to the content creator’s prolonged detention and alleged assault.
“He had been battered so badly, he was forced to apologise,” Sowore claimed, describing what he called a pattern of intimidation.
He similarly criticised the arrest of Regina Daniels’ brother, noting that he intervened despite personal risk:
“I was declared wanted in Lagos, yet I travelled to Abuja to ensure his release,” he said.
Beyond the alleged human rights abuses, Sowore linked Nwoko to what he described as “one of the biggest corruption pipelines in Nigeria”—the controversial consultancy payments from federal funds and local government refunds.
“He is receiving millions of dollars for legal consultancy on money that already belongs to local governments,” Sowore alleged, insisting that such influence has enabled the senator to evade accountability.
The activist also accused the Nigeria Police Force of complicity:
“Policemen go to his house to eat every day. They have sold the police force for free,” he said.
Responding to critics who question his involvement in cases linked to Regina Daniels’ family, Sowore said he acts strictly on principle.
“I don’t care whether you support me or not. I fight for human rights and dignity,” he said, adding that impunity—rather than personal loyalties—motivates his actions.
Sowore concluded that the issues surrounding Senator Nwoko reflect a wider pattern of impunity among political elites who use wealth and state institutions to shield themselves from scrutiny.
“It is the impunity that we are against,” he said. “When wealth and power are used to punish the vulnerable, society must intervene.”