After the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja granted bail to human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was re-arrested by Nigerian police. The bail order came after Sowore and 13 others, including the lawyer and brother of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, were arraigned on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbing public peace related to a recent #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
The court granted Sowore bail in the sum of ₦500,000, conditional upon presenting a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and surrendering their passports. The magistrate presiding over the case was Abubakar Umar Sai’Id.
However, immediately following the bail ruling, police officers led by CSP Ilyasu Barau of the FCT Command forcibly apprehended Sowore outside the court premises. Eyewitnesses reported that officers punched and dragged Sowore to a waiting police van amid resistance, without showing any remand order from the court. Witnesses further alleged that the police violated the court’s bail directive by detaining Sowore under questionable circumstances using a purported secret remand order authorizing his transfer to Kuje Correctional Centre.
Sowore’s legal team was still finalizing the bail conditions when the incident occurred, sparking outrage as the police also reportedly assaulted lawyers present. Sowore’s arrest on October 23rd, 2025 followed his participation in a protest demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, and has drawn widespread condemnation from civil society and human rights organizations worldwide. These groups accuse the government of suppressing dissent and undermining judicial authority.
Sowore remains a prominent critic of the Nigerian government, and his repeated arrests have raised serious concerns about respect for fundamental freedoms and due process in Nigeria.
