Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, regained his freedom on Monday after spending four days in Kuje Prison, Abuja, following his compliance with bail conditions.
Sowore announced his release on his verified X handle (formerly Twitter), stating: “HAPPENING NOW: Leaving Kuje Prison in Abuja after being detained there illegally for four days by @officialABAT illegal IGP, Kayode Egbetokun. #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.”
The activist was amongst 14 persons arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force last week during a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in Abuja. Those arrested alongside Sowore included Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu; Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu; and 11 other protesters.
The group appeared before Magistrate Abubakar Sai’id at a Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja, last Friday. They faced charges bordering on unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
Magistrate Sai’id granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with stringent conditions. The bail requirements included presentation of a verified National Identification Number, submission of a three-year tax clearance certificate, and deposit of their international passports.
Following the fulfilment of these conditions, Sowore and the other defendants secured their release from Kuje Prison on Monday.
Sowore’s arrest last Thursday occurred shortly after he departed the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had attended a court proceeding concerning the IPOB leader. The circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent detention have sparked debates amongst civil society organisations and human rights groups across the country.
The activist, who contested the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections under the platform of the African Action Congress, has been a vocal critic of government policies and a persistent advocate for detained individuals, including Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in custody since his repatriation to Nigeria in 2021.
