Human rights lawyer Temitope Temokun has given a detailed account of what he described as a “state-backed abduction” of activist Omoyele Sowore by officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja, just moments after he was granted bail.
Temokun, who represents Sowore, said the re-arrest on Friday, October 24, 2025, was “unlawful, premeditated, and a direct attack on the rule of law.” He accused police officers of physically assaulting lawyers, journalists, and onlookers who tried to film the scene.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources on Sunday, Temokun described the incident as a “calculated attempt to humiliate the judiciary and silence dissenting voices.”
“Those who tried to record the event were beaten. I was also assaulted — I bled through my lawyer’s bib after being struck by officers,” he recounted.
Chaos After Bail
According to Temokun, Sowore and four others arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest had each been granted bail of ₦500,000 with two sureties. The paperwork for their release was nearly complete when heavily armed policemen stormed the court premises around 11 a.m., claiming to have a remand order.
“When we asked to see the order, they refused and resorted to violence,” Temokun said.
Witnesses said the officers damaged nearby stalls and attacked bystanders, including a female food vendor whose goods were destroyed. “It was pure lawlessness,” the lawyer added. “Sowore was dragged into a waiting van so violently that his arm was almost dislocated.”
“A Direct Contempt of Court”
Temokun condemned the action as a deliberate attempt to undermine judicial authority.
“Once a court grants bail, the police have no constitutional power to re-arrest the same person over the same issue. Only the Nigerian Correctional Service can detain further — and even that must be by a new court order. What the police did amounts to contempt,” he asserted.
He revealed that Sowore was later taken to Kuje Correctional Centre, where prison officials initially refused to accept him due to missing documentation.
“They later came back with backdated papers — clearly fabricated after the illegal arrest,” he alleged.
Injuries and Next Legal Steps
Temokun said Sowore suffered bruises and a shoulder injury during the scuffle. “His white outfit was torn and bloodied. He has since received treatment at the prison clinic,” he confirmed.
The legal team plans to return to court on Monday, October 27, to demand compliance with the bail ruling and file formal complaints against the police officers involved.
“We will not let this go unchallenged. If policemen can invade a court, beat lawyers, and abduct someone granted bail, then the judiciary is under siege,” Temokun declared. “This is not democracy; it is executive brigandage.”
Background
Sowore — a former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters — had been arrested on Thursday, October 23, after leading a peaceful protest in Abuja calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and other political detainees.
Temokun recounted that officers initially deceived them by claiming Sowore was merely being “invited for questioning.”
“They said a ‘citizen’ wanted to see him. Instead of taking us to the Inspector-General’s office, they diverted to the IRT facility at Abattoir Police Station and detained him. That’s how this illegality began,” he explained.
“Threat to Democracy”
The lawyer warned that persistent defiance of court orders by law enforcement agencies poses an existential threat to democracy.
“When courts are ignored and lawyers brutalised, it means the rule of law is collapsing,” he said. “What happened to Sowore was not an arrest — it was a state-sanctioned abduction inside a court of law.”
Temokun called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take responsibility, sanction the officers involved, and issue a public apology to the judiciary.
“Leadership demands restraint, not repression. Even President Tinubu, despite heavy criticism in the past, never ordered his opponents’ abduction. This incident is an embarrassment to the justice system,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Sowore’s supporters and human rights groups have threatened to launch nationwide protests if he is not released, accusing the police of being used as a political weapon against dissent.
