By: Sunday Ameh
A Magistrate Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and several others arrested during Thursday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
Others granted bail include Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and 11 other protesters.
The presiding magistrate, Abubakar Umar Sai’I’d, granted the bail on Friday after the defendants were arraigned on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
According to the court ruling, Sowore and the co-defendants were granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with conditions that they provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three-year tax clearance certificates, and submit their international passports to the court.
Sowore was arrested on Thursday by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force shortly after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had attended a separate proceeding.
The arrest, which was captured in several videos that circulated widely on social media, sparked outrage among civil society organisations and human rights defenders, who condemned it as another attempt by authorities to stifle dissent and silence activism.
Sowore, a long-time pro-democracy campaigner and founder of Sahara Reporters, has been a vocal critic of successive Nigerian governments. His platform is widely known for exposing corruption, abuse of power, and violations of human rights.
The activist has faced multiple arrests in recent years over his involvement in protests demanding good governance and accountability.
The case is expected to continue in the coming days as the defendants perfect their bail conditions.
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