Abuja, Nigeria — Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was reportedly re-arrested on Friday by police officers in Abuja, moments after being granted bail by the Kuje Magistrate Court.
The incident occurred just outside the court premises, where Sowore and 13 others had been released on bail following their arrest during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
According to Sahara Reporters, the arrest was led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, the Investigating Police Officer from the Anti-Vice Unit of the FCT Command, who allegedly assaulted and forced Sowore into a waiting police van shortly after the court’s decision.
Eyewitnesses said Sowore, who was finalizing his bail documentation, resisted as officers dragged and punched him before taking him away.
When Sowore’s lawyers requested to see a remand order, the officers reportedly refused to provide any document, insisting that they were acting under instructions to transfer him to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Lawyers and supporters at the scene condemned the police action, describing it as a violation of due process and the court’s authority.
Earlier in the day, Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id had granted bail to Sowore and 13 others, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu.
Each defendant was required to post ₦500,000 bail, submit a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance, and surrender their international passports.
The group faces charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace related to the October #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
