Cybercrime: Sowore must face trial – US group tackles SERAP, Amnesty International

A United States-based non-governmental organization, Justice For All Nations (JFAN), has criticized the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria over their call on President Bola Tinubu to withdraw cybercrime charges against activist Omoyele Sowore.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Coordinator, Dr. Dada Popoola, JFAN described the appeal by the two organizations as “self-serving and hypocritical.” The group insisted that Sowore must face trial and should be prepared to present in court any evidence, including a judgment, to support his claim that President Tinubu is a convicted criminal.

JFAN expressed dismay at what it called Amnesty International’s transformation into a defender of “impunity, blackmail, and activism-for-cash”—accusations the group leveled against Sowore.

The organization also took aim at SERAP, describing it as “a personal business venture disguised as a civil society organization” and said its defense of Sowore was unsurprising given his controversial remarks about the President.

“In the United States, where Sowore operates his so-called activism, can any citizen lawfully label someone a criminal without a court conviction?” JFAN asked.

The group went further to question the silence of both Amnesty International and SERAP during the violence that marred the 2019 governorship elections in Rivers State. It accused Sowore of selling his African Action Congress (AAC) party’s ticket to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s candidate and claimed that several lives were lost in the process, including that of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a lecturer at Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.

JFAN challenged the two rights organizations to explain what actions they took in response to those incidents.

The group also called on Nigerian security and anti-corruption agencies to investigate civil society organizations and human rights activists, alleging that many serve as fronts for money laundering and terrorism financing.