Omoyele Sowore: The unicorn in a sea of phonies, By Osmund Agbo

Omoyele Sowore

In 1992, long before vested interests hijacked student union politics in Nigerian universities and turned it into a plaything for the government in power, a firebrand activist led over five thousand students in protest against General Ibrahim Babangida’s military junta. That maverick, a lanky figure serving as the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) at the University of Lagos, was Omoyele “Yele” Sowore. Predictably, the protest did not end well for him and his comrades.

Much like the tragic events of the Lekki massacre during the EndSARS protests, Sowore-led 1992 uprising began as a peaceful act of rebellion and ended in bloodshed. The police opened fire on unarmed students, and by the time the smoke cleared, seven vibrant young souls, full of promise, lay lifeless. Though Sowore escaped death by a whisker, his ordeal was far from over. He spent the next few months in hell—arrested, relentlessly tortured, and thrown into a dark, filthy dungeon, left to wither and die. The regime’s message was unmistakable: they intended to break him, body and soul, until nothing is left of the defiant young leader whose influence was spreading like wildfire.

It’s been more than three decades since that horrific chapter in our nation’s history, and Sowore’s life has come to  be defined by repeated run-ins with Nigerian authorities and brushes with death at the hands of state agents. Despite it all, he remains unwavering in his mission, relentlessly pursuing what has now become his life’s calling: the demand for people-centered leadership, equality and justice for all.

He is not even my aburo, yet when I first came face to face with Omoyele Sowore in December last year at the National Press Centre in Abuja, my knees betrayed me without warning and quickly buckled beneath. I found my usually confident self, genuflecting in his presence. However, before I could fully submit to the moment, Sowore shot me a steely glare, swiftly urging me to reclaim my stance without delay. With that piercing look, the message was clear.

The encounter took place during the post-launch photo session of Dis Life No Balance, a book addressing the complex Nigerian question, which I had co-authored with two intellectual gadflies, Profs. Farooq Kperogi and Moses Ochonu. Mr. Sowore, clad in a relaxed jumper I suspect was made from Igala Achi fabric, moved effortlessly through the room, sharing light banter with both familiar faces and new acquaintances. Despite being a perpetual thorn in the side of the high and mighty, with a target seemingly marked on his back, the man navigated the room with an air of untroubled composure. It dawned on me that, after all these years, this improbable soldier has truly become battle-hardened.

Sowore was arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Department of State Services (DSS) at midnight on August 3, 2019, on charges of treason and incitement. This occurred two days before a planned protest against Buhari’s rudderless and nepotistic leadership, tagged “Days of Rage,” which he had organized for August 5, 2019. In a Gestapo-style operation, he was arrested in Lagos, flown to Abuja, and held in solitary confinement for over four months at the “Yellow House,” the code name for the notorious secret police headquarters.

He finally had his day in court, but following intense pressure from both national and international groups, he was released in December 2019. However, the court restricted him to Abuja for over two years and later barred him from leaving Nigeria. During this period, his younger brother, Olajide was tragically murdered on a highway near Benin, with Sowore pointing fingers at the authorities. To this day, the murder case remains unsolved.

Omoyele Sowore’s life is a testament to unwavering courage and an unshakable belief in justice. His journey, which began during his days as a students leader, has evolved into a powerful movement for national change—a struggle that continues today with the RevolutionNow movement. His path to activism was not born out of convenience ; it was forged in the crucible of hardship and opposition. 

The movement, a call for mass protests and sweeping political reforms, was Sowore’s boldest attempt yet to awaken the consciousness of Nigerians and demand an end to corruption, economic mismanagement, and political stagnation. RevolutionNow sought to free Nigeria from the stranglehold of crooked politicians who had, for decades, looted the country’s resources while ordinary citizens struggled with poverty, insecurity, and unemployment.

RevolutionNow called for a new Nigeria—one where justice prevailed, the rule of law was respected, and the people’s voices were heard. Sowore’s demands were clear: the eradication of corruption, free and fair elections, and the restoration of human rights and dignity for all Nigerians. His message resonated with millions of citizens who had grown tired of empty promises and the same political faces recycling power without meaningful progress.

His activism goes far beyond confronting rogue governments and corrupt politicians—it is a relentless pursuit of justice, driven by a vision of a Nigeria where the vulnerable are not trampled by the powerful. It means standing up for the oppressed, no matter where injustice lurks. As Students’ Union president, Sowore confronted campus cultism with the same unyielding ferocity that he unleashed against corrupt elements in society.

Like many exiled June 12 crusaders, he eventually found refuge in the United States when Abacha’s regime was hunting them down. Having earned a degree in Geography and Planning from the University of Lagos, he sought to enhance his academic credentials by obtaining a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University. He later taught Modern African History at the City University of New York and served as an adjunct professor of Postcolonial History at the School of Visual Arts.

In 2006, Sowore founded Sahara Reporters, a disruptive media platform dedicated to exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and injustice in Nigeria. Through fearless journalism, Sahara Reporters has given a voice to the voiceless and has held Nigeria’s corrupt politicians accountable for their actions. His work through Sahara Reporters has often put him at odds with the powerful elite, but he remained undeterred. Today, this media platform has become one of the leading source of investigative reporting in Nigeria.

In March of this year, when Sowore returned to the United States to reunite with his family, he was met with a hero’s welcome that was nothing short of extraordinary. The city of Haworth, New Jersey, came alive, rolling out the red carpet for its celebrated resident. For five long and grueling years, the Nigerian state had stripped him of this joy, denying him the simple pleasures of life—saying goodnight to his wife, Opeyemi, or hugging his teenage son, Komi, and daughter, Mamike.

Through his relentless activism, Sowore has demonstrated that true leadership is about sacrifice. He has risked his life, freedom, and safety, mortgaging the comfort of his family to fight for a Nigeria where the government serves the people, not the other way around. His courage, integrity, and unyielding commitment to justice will continue to illuminate the path for others in the struggle for a better Nigeria.

This is about the very essence of what it means to be free. It is about ensuring that future generations of Nigerians do not have to live under the yoke of oppression and that the nation’s wealth and resources benefit all its citizens, not just a select few. Omoyele Sowore has dedicated his life to this cause. Nigeria’s path to freedom is long and tortuous, but with warriors like him, there is at least the audacity to hope.

You may not always agree with him or his methods. In fact, a popular Nigerian journalist once described Sowore as being “caught at the intersection of neo-liberal complexity and a revolutionary conviction couched in shades of populism and opportunism.” Yet, his patriotism and courage of conviction are undeniably visible—even to the blind.

In a land filled with cowards and phonies masquerading as patriots, where political opportunists pose as table-shakers and fair-weather activists sit idle, waiting for their payday, Omoleye Sowore is a unicorn. 

Here is a toast to the fearless activist, unyielding advocate for social justice, tireless anti-corruption crusader, sharp-witted journalist, and relentless social critic. A Balogun in battle, an Ochiagha in strategy and a Sarkin Yaki  in courage. May his relentless fight to unshackle Nigeria inspire generations yet unborn, and may history forever remember him as one crucial spark that ignited the flame of true freedom. 

Omoleye Sowore embodies the very essence of the proverbial man in the arena—bruised, battered, but far from broken. He has truly earned his place and now stands proudly among the pantheon of global champions of liberty. Long may he live! 

Osmund Agbo is a US-based medical doctor and author. His works include Black Grit, White Knuckles: The Philosophy of Black Renaissance and a fiction work titled The Velvet Court: Courtesan Chronicles. His latest works, Pray, Let the Shaman Die and Ma’am, I Do Not Come to You for Love, have just been released.