The Take It Back (TIB) Movement has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of reviving the “disgraced template of repression” once used against its leader, Omoyele Sowore, under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon, and dated Friday, the group warned that Nigerians should prepare for nationwide action if the government does not halt its alleged persecution of Sowore.

The movement alleged that Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in collaboration with vacation judges, is attempting to secure court orders that would cripple Sowore and his party, the African Action Congress (AAC), ahead of the next political season.

“History Is Repeating Itself”

Recalling Sowore’s 2019 ordeal under Buhari, the TIB said:

“From 2019 under the tyrannical regime of Muhammadu Buhari to this very moment under Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian state has shamelessly weaponized its institutions — the courts, the police, and the DSS — to silence dissent, stifle press freedom, and criminalize legitimate opposition.”

The group cited how Sowore was branded a terrorist in 2019, accused of receiving $100 million from Dubai despite never visiting the country, and detained on the order of Justice Taiwo Taiwo. His bank accounts were frozen, SaharaReporters’ offices were barricaded, and excessive bail conditions imposed, until the Court of Appeal eventually struck them down.

They also reminded Nigerians of the infamous moment when Sowore was violently seized inside a courtroom by DSS operatives before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in 2019.

“Tinubu Has Dusted Off Buhari’s Template”

The TIB said the current administration has now “dusted off the same disgraced template” to hound Sowore. It accused Justice Emeka Nwite of recently granting “a reckless request” to access Sowore’s personal accounts, as well as those of AAC and the TIB Movement.

“This witch-hunt is clearly aimed at crippling the opposition and fabricating pretexts to secure yet another illegal detention order to keep Sowore out of circulation during the coming political season,” the statement read.

“No Judge, No Police Can Silence Freedom”

The group insisted that the harassment of Sowore is not only lawless but exposes the “deep insecurity of the ruling class.”

“They fear the truth Sowore represents, the revolutionary courage he embodies, and the growing political alternative that the AAC and Take It Back Movement represent.

We put it to the Nigerian ruling class that no matter how many judges they procure, no matter how many courts they corrupt, and no matter how many police officers they deploy, the voice of freedom cannot be silenced.”

The TIB warned that if the government persists in its actions, the Nigerian people should brace themselves for nationwide resistance.