Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has demanded justice for victims of extrajudicial killings in Nigeria. He urged authorities to hold all perpetrators accountable, regardless of their affiliations.
In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Sowore condemned incidents of mob violence and state-led extrajudicial actions. He highlighted cases such as the killing of Deborah Samuel a student lynched in Sokoto on May 12, 2022, by religious extremists as well as the recent murder of northerners by vigilantes in Edo State.
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Sowore also criticized the Nigerian Army for allegedly carrying out extrajudicial killings of Shiite protesters in Abuja.
He stated, “Whether it is religious extremists who murdered Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, vigilantes responsible for killing innocent northerners in Edo, or @HQNigerianArmy soldiers who unlawfully killed Shiite protesters in Abuja, all must be brought to justice without exception.”
His remarks come amid growing concerns over mob violence, ethnic conflicts, and unlawful killings by security forces in Nigeria.
Deborah Samuel, a student at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was brutally killed by a mob in May 2022 over allegations of blasphemy.
Similarly, just last week, vigilante groups in Edo State reportedly killed at least 16 northerners traveling through the region after accusing them of being kidnappers.
The Nigerian Army has also faced accusations of human rights violations, particularly in its handling of protests by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), commonly known as the Shiite group. Members of the group have claimed that security forces violently suppress their demonstrations in Abuja and other locations.
Sowore, a vocal advocate for human rights and good governance in Nigeria, has consistently pushed for accountability from both state and non-state actors involved in rights violations.
