In a dramatic scene that has raised alarm over the rule of law, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore was violently re-arrested just moments after a Magistrate Court order in Kuje, Abuja, granted him bail. Sowore, the convener of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, was seized by a large contingent of police officers in what his legal team is calling a blatant disregard for judicial due process.
A Fleeting Moment of Freedom
The Kuje Magistrate Court had admitted Sowore, Aloy Ejimakor (a lawyer for IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu), and eleven other defendants to bail. The charges stemmed from their involvement in a Monday protest in Abuja, accused of "inciting public disturbance and breaching public peace." The court set bail at ₦500,000 for each defendant, requiring two sureties in the same amount.
However, this judicial order proved short-lived. According to Sowore's lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, the activist's release was immediately met with an overwhelming police presence.
Adeyanju recounted that over fifty police officers descended on the area, creating a chaotic and intimidating atmosphere. When Sowore's legal team demanded to see a valid warrant for this new arrest, the officers reportedly refused to produce one.
In a telling moment, an officer allegedly flashed a letter briefly before pocketing it. “We couldn’t even read what was written on it,” Adeyanju stated, highlighting the lack of transparency in the operation.
The justification provided by one officer on the scene was notably personal. Adeyanju reported that an officer claimed Sowore was being taken because he had insulted the Inspector-General of Police by calling him “useless.” This alleged comment was cited as the reason for the violent arrest, which left Sowore’s clothes torn as he was forcibly taken to Kuje Prison.
A Pattern of Activism
This incident is the latest in Sowore's ongoing confrontations with the state. Just days before, on October 23, he had appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stand in solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges. His re-arrest following a bail ruling has intensified concerns about the treatment of government critics and the integrity of the judicial process in Nigeria.
The event poses a critical question: can a court's authority be so swiftly undermined by the very forces tasked with upholding the law? For now, the gates of the prison that Sowore briefly left have closed behind him once again.
Newsfill