Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and human rights campaigner, is said to have passed out at a Democracy Day demonstration in Abuja on Friday, June 12, 2026, when security personnel used tear gas to scatter protesters.
When police arrived, the gathering, which was a part of a statewide mass action against growing economic hardship and insecurity organised by a coalition of civil society organisations, descended into chaos. To get the gathering to disperse, operators used tear gas canisters and fired rounds into the air.
Sowore fainted amid the dense tear gas vapours, according to eyewitnesses. He was swiftly grabbed by other protestors and driven out of the crowd in a car to receive emergency medical care.
The Federal Capital Territory Command issued warnings about protests that targeted critical government locations, which prompted the police action. Early on Friday morning, security personnel had already blocked access roads to the Three Arms Zone, Unity Fountain, and Eagle Square, among other important locations.
As of the time of this report, nothing was known about Sowore’s health.