Drama As Police Rearrest Sowore In Abuja Minutes After Court Grants Bail

Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, was on Friday rearrested outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja, moments after being granted bail along with 12 others by the court.

The incident occurred shortly after Magistrate Abubakar Sai’id of the Kuje Chief Magistrate Court approved bail for Sowore and other defendants charged with unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace following Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.

Reports said a team of police officers, led by CSP Iliyasu, Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Vice Unit, State CID, allegedly stormed the court premises and forcibly took Sowore away, sparking confusion and chaos.

The activist’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, accused the police of displaying “raw impunity” and “disdain for the rule of law.”

“After the court had freely and honorably granted bail to human rights defender Omoyele Sowore on liberal terms, a detachment of police officers, led by CSP Iliyasu, OC Anti-Vice, State Command CID, invaded the court premises in a display of raw impunity and disdain for the rule of law,” Temokun said.

“They descended violently upon Omoyele Sowore and those present and, in the full glare of the public, abducted Sowore and whisked him away,” he added.

Temokun said he and several others were physically assaulted while attempting to resist the police action.

“In the course of standing up against this brazen illegality, I and others were physically assaulted. I sustained injuries, and my bib was blood-stained in the chaos that ensued,” he said.

He described the rearrest as unlawful and premeditated, insisting that Sowore was not being taken to a lawful detention centre.

“The officers, in a most unruly and undisciplined manner, rough-handled Sowore away and whisked him away. Let it be known that Sowore was not taken to prison,” he alleged.

Court Grants ₦500,000 Bail to Sowore, Others

Earlier, the court had granted Sowore and 12 co-defendants, including Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, and Emmanuel Kanu, the detained IPOB leader’s brother, bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each.

As part of the conditions, the defendants were directed to submit their passports, provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN), and show a three-year tax clearance certificate before their release.

The ruling had been met with brief applause from supporters before police operatives allegedly moved in.

As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued any official statement regarding the rearrest or the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault at the court premises.

Efforts to reach the FCT Police Command spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.

Sowore and the others were arrested on Monday during a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in Abuja, where protesters demanded the release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The activist, who has faced multiple arrests since 2019 over his activism, was arraigned alongside the others on charges of unlawful assembly and public disturbance.

Friday’s development marks yet another episode in Sowore’s ongoing confrontation with law enforcement agencies.

Reactions Trail Rearrest

The incident has sparked condemnation from civil society groups and rights activists, who described it as a violation of judicial authority and an attack on democracy.

Several social media users have also called for Sowore’s immediate release, with hashtags such as #FreeSowore and #JusticeForSowore trending on X (formerly Twitter) by Friday evening.