“You Enjoyed Free Speech, Don’t Criminalize It Now” — Omoyele Sowore Blasts Adekunle Gold Over Critics’ Arrests
By Passman Akpos
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold over alleged moves to involve law enforcement and the courts against social media users accused of online banter and criticism.
In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Sowore referenced old posts from 2012 in which Adekunle Gold had openly criticized then-President Goodluck Jonathan, arguing that such expressions were widely defended at the time as legitimate free speech.
According to Sowore, if Adekunle Gold had been arrested then for those comments, many Nigerians would have protested and demanded his immediate release, insisting that criticism of public figures should never be treated as a crime.
He questioned what he described as the contradiction of someone who once benefited from freedom of expression allegedly turning around years later to deploy police power, court actions, and what he called Nigeria’s “brutal cybercrime framework” against ordinary citizens over social media exchanges.
“You cannot enjoy free speech when you are powerless and criminalize it the moment you become influential,” Sowore stated.
He stressed that freedom of expression must apply equally to everyone, including celebrities, politicians, activists, and everyday young Nigerians using social media platforms.
Sowore further accused the Nigeria Police Force of increasingly acting as a “private army for the rich and famous,” alleging that law enforcement agencies were being used to intimidate critics rather than protect citizens.
He also called on the judiciary to stop imposing what he described as excessive punishments over internet speech, arguing that online comments and banter should not be treated as criminal offenses.
“The Nigeria Police Force must stop acting as a private army for the rich and famous, while the judiciary must stop handing down outrageous punishments over internet speech that should never be criminal matters in the first place,” he said.
The remarks have since sparked fresh debate online about the boundaries of free speech, celebrity influence, and the use of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws in handling disputes arising from social media interactions.
