Tension erupted on Friday at the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja after police officers forcefully re-arrested human rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, moments after the court granted him bail.
According to witnesses, the incident occurred shortly after Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’Id granted bail to Sowore and 13 others who were arraigned for participating in the recent #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
Police Defy Court Order, Forcefully Re-Arrest Sowore
Eyewitnesses told reporters that as Sowore’s legal team was processing his bail conditions, a team of officers led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and Officer-in-Charge of Anti-Vice under the DC-CID, FCT Command, pounced on Sowore, punched and dragged him into a waiting police van.
“The IPO punched him, dragged him on the ground, and pushed him violently into the van. They really manhandled him,” a witness said.
The officers allegedly refused to show any remand order, despite repeated demands from Sowore’s lawyers and supporters.
“They claimed to have a secret remand order but refused to show it. Meanwhile, the court had just granted bail and gave no such directive,” another eyewitness added.
Lawyers, Onlookers Allegedly Attacked
Reports also indicated that police assaulted some lawyers who attempted to intervene during the confrontation. The officers reportedly insisted that they were acting on instructions to transfer Sowore to Kuje Correctional Centre, sparking outrage among bystanders.
Witnesses accused the police of disregarding the court’s bail ruling and violating judicial authority, saying the move appeared to be an attempt to detain Sowore under questionable circumstances.
Background: Court Granted ₦500,000 Bail
Earlier in the day, the Magistrate Court in Kuje had granted bail to Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 others, each in the sum of ₦500,000.
The court directed all defendants to provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three-year tax clearance certificates, and to submit their passports as part of their bail conditions.
Sowore’s arrest on Thursday, which occurred shortly after he left the Federal High Court in Abuja, had already drawn widespread condemnation from civil society and human rights organisations.
Growing Outcry Against Police Actions
Human rights groups and observers have since criticised the police for their continued clampdown on activists, describing the latest incident as an assault on the rule of law.
Sowore, a pro-democracy activist and former presidential candidate, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Nigerian government, using his platform, SaharaReporters, to expose corruption and demand accountability.
His repeated arrests and confrontations with security agencies have drawn global attention and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to respect judicial processes and fundamental freedoms.