A Magistrate Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to human rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, along with several others arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
Those also granted bail include Aloy Ejimakor, legal counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and 11 additional protesters.
The ruling, delivered by Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’Id on Friday, October 24, 2025, followed their arraignment on charges of unlawful assembly and breach of public peace.
According to the court order, each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with conditions requiring them to present a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and submit their international passports.
Sowore was arrested on Thursday, October 23, 2025, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force shortly after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had attended a separate proceeding earlier in the day.
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The arrest, captured in viral videos on social media, drew widespread criticism from civil society groups and human rights organisations, who described it as an attempt to stifle peaceful dissent and intimidate activists.
Sowore, a veteran campaigner for democracy and social justice, has been a prominent figure in Nigeria’s civic movement for over three decades.
Through his media outlet, he has consistently used journalism as a tool to expose corruption, governance failures, and rights violations across various levels of government.