Chaos broke out on Friday at the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja after police officers forcefully re-arrested human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, moments after he was granted bail.
Eyewitnesses said the incident unfolded just after the court granted bail to Sowore and 13 others who had been detained for participating in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to reports, while Sowore’s legal team was working to perfect his bail conditions, police officers led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and OC Anti-Vice under the FCT Command, descended on him, punching and dragging him into a waiting van.
“The IPO punched him, dragged him on the ground, and pushed him violently into the van. They really manhandled him,” an eyewitness told reporters.
Witnesses said the officers refused to show any remand order authorising the arrest, despite claims that one existed. “Police forcefully took Sowore to prison despite the bail granted to him. They cited a secret remand order,” another source said.
It was also gathered that lawyers present at the court were assaulted as they tried to intervene, with police insisting they were acting on instructions to move Sowore to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The move has sparked outrage among observers who accused the police of flouting the court’s authority. “Meanwhile, the magistrate granted bail, and there was no mention of any remand order,” one witness stated.
Earlier in the day, Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’I’d had granted bail to Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 others in the sum of ₦500,000 each.
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The court also ordered them to present a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance, and their passports as part of the bail requirements.
Sowore was first arrested on Thursday by police officers after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja — an incident that drew sharp criticism from civil society groups and activists who accused security agencies of continually targeting him for his activism.
A vocal critic of government policies and a pro-democracy advocate, Sowore has been arrested multiple times in recent years.
His latest ordeal has once again raised concerns over the disregard for judicial orders and the suppression of dissenting voices in Nigeria.
Human rights groups have called on authorities to respect court rulings and ensure Sowore’s immediate release, describing his treatment as a violation of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms.