FORMER presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has regained his freedom after spending four days in custody in Abuja.
Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, was detained after leading a protest demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
His release came after he and 12 others, including Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu, met the bail conditions granted by a Kuje Magistrate’s Court in the Federal Capital Territory. The court had earlier ordered that each defendant post a bond of ₦500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Sowore confirmed his release on Monday, October 27, through a post on his X handle, where he described his detention as illegal. He wrote, “Leaving Kuje Prison in Abuja after being detained there illegally for four days.”
Sowore was arrested on October 23 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had gone to attend Nnamdi Kanu’s trial.
Witnesses said police officers led by Ilyasu Barau of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Criminal Investigation Department approached the activist outside the courtroom and informed him that he was under arrest.
Members of his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, demanded an explanation, but the officers insisted they were acting on the orders of the FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye. Sowore was then taken away in a police vehicle.
The arrest came three days after the October 20 protest in Abuja, where Sowore and other activists demanded Kanu’s release.
Security operatives fired teargas and gunshots into the air to disperse the protesters, leading to the arrest of Ejimakor, Kanu, and several others. They were charged with inciting a disturbance and breaching public peace.
The Nigeria Police Force later defended the arrest, saying Sowore led the protesters into areas restricted by a court order.
Force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, told journalists that Sowore’s name appeared repeatedly in the statements of those earlier arrested, identifying him as the leader of the protest.
Hundeyin said the police had an obligation to arrest him, adding that “it would be unfair to charge others and exempt the person they claimed led them into restricted areas.”
The police said the protesters violated an existing court order prohibiting demonstrations around sensitive government facilities in Abuja, including the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, and Eagle Square. The order, according to the police, was issued to prevent disruptions and possible security breaches in those areas.
The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest was organised by Sowore and other rights groups who demanded the immediate release of the IPOB leader. Kanu has been in the custody of the State Security Services (SSS) since 2021 after his arrest in Kenya and subsequent return to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
The ICIR reported that during the protest in Abuja, police and military personnel used teargas to disperse demonstrators, causing panic around the Central Business District. The protest also led to increased security presence across major entry points into the city, including Nyanya, Karu, and Kubwa.
Re-arrest while perfecting bail
After the Kuje Magistrate’s Court granted bail to Sowore and the other defendants on October 24, police operatives stormed the court premises and re-arrested him before his release papers were completed. Witnesses said officers led by Barau attacked and dragged Sowore into a waiting police van, creating panic within the court premises.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong condemned the re-arrest, describing it as an affront to judicial authority. Civil society groups, including the Take It Back Movement, also demanded his immediate release, insisting that Sowore’s activism was constitutionally protected.
Cybercrime case over comment on Tinubu
Even as he regained his freedom, Sowore is expected to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 5 for arraignment in a separate case filed by the Department of State Services.
According to court documents, the SSS filed a five-count charge against him, alongside X and Meta, owners of Facebook, accusing him of violating the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
The charges stemmed from a social media post in which Sowore allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.” The SSS said the post was intended to cause public disorder and disaffection toward the president.
The case, earlier scheduled for hearing on October 27, was adjourned to November 5 because the presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, was sitting in another division of the court.
A reporter with the ICIR
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