Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate, was briefly detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service upon his arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Sunday. He has since been released.
Sowore’s detention occurred shortly after members of the Take It Back Movement and other activists had gathered at the airport to welcome him.
He had flown from the United States, departing Washington Dulles International Airport at 6:14 AM EDT and landing in Lagos at 9:43 AM WAT.
Sowore confirmed that immigration officials detained him and seized his passport, offering no clear explanation for the detention.
The officials cited orders from higher authorities and said they needed to consult with Abuja for further instructions.
After his release, Sowore announced, “I have just been released by Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention, and my passport has been returned to me.” He later confirmed this through his X (formerly Twitter) handle with the hashtag #RevolutionNow.