By: Sunday Ameh
Human rights lawyer, Temitope Temokun, has narrated in shocking detail how operatives of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly carried out what he described as a “state-sanctioned abduction” of pro-democracy activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, at the premises of the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja.
Speaking on Inside Sources on Channels Television on Sunday, Temokun said the re-arrest of Sowore—who had just been granted bail by a Magistrate Court on Friday, October 24—was not only illegal but a direct assault on the rule of law and the sanctity of the judiciary.
According to him, the police acted in defiance of a valid court order, describing the operation as “premeditated, unnecessary, and brutal.”
“The moment the bail conditions were perfected, the police arrived with force. They didn’t come to enforce justice—they came to destroy it,” Temokun said.
He alleged that the police officers physically assaulted lawyers, journalists, and onlookers who attempted to document the scene. “Those who tried to record the incident were beaten. I was assaulted myself and bled through my lawyer’s bib,” he said, adding that he sustained injuries during the confrontation.
Sowore, along with four others arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, had been granted bail of ₦500,000 each with two sureties. Temokun recounted that the group had fulfilled all bail conditions within thirty minutes and were awaiting formal release when chaos broke out.
“Sowore was sitting under a tree while we finalized paperwork. Suddenly, several police vehicles stormed the court premises around 11 a.m. The officers, armed to the teeth, claimed they had a remand order—but refused to show it,” Temokun explained.
“They descended on everyone, beat up bystanders, and dragged Sowore into their van like a criminal.”
The lawyer said a food vendor nearby had her goods destroyed as the police dispersed the crowd violently.
“It was a display of pure lawlessness. They used excessive force, shattering every standard of due process,” he added.
Temokun further disclosed that the police later took Sowore to Kuje Correctional Centre, but prison authorities initially refused to accept him because there was no valid remand warrant.
“The officers later returned with backdated documents, clearly fabricated after the fact to justify their illegality,” he claimed.
He described the incident as “an open contempt of court,” emphasizing that once a competent court grants bail, no law permits the police to re-arrest the same person on the same issue without a fresh judicial order.
“The police have no constitutional authority to do what they did. It is a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy itself,” Temokun said.
He revealed that Sowore suffered multiple bruises, with his white clothes soaked in blood before receiving treatment at the Kuje prison clinic.
The legal team, he added, plans to return to court on Monday, October 27, to enforce full compliance with the magistrate’s bail ruling and file a formal complaint against the officers involved.
“We won’t let this impunity slide. If lawyers and journalists can be brutalized in court premises, then no Nigerian is safe. What happened was not an arrest—it was a state-sponsored abduction,” Temokun declared.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, was initially arrested on Thursday, October 23, shortly after leading a peaceful protest in Abuja demanding the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and other political prisoners.
Temokun also questioned the legality of the first arrest, saying that the police had deceived Sowore under the guise of an “invitation for questioning.”
“They said a citizen wanted to see him. Instead of taking him to the IGP’s office as promised, they diverted to the IRT facility at Abattoir Police Station, where he was detained unlawfully,” the lawyer said.
He accused the police of weaponizing state power against dissenting voices, warning that such acts pose a grave danger to Nigeria’s democracy.
“When court orders are ignored and citizens are brutalized for expressing dissent, it signals the collapse of democratic values,” he said.
Temokun urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take responsibility for the unlawful actions of his men and issue a public apology to the judiciary and the Nigerian people.
“Leadership demands restraint, not brutality. What happened to Sowore is an embarrassment to the entire justice system,” he said.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and Sowore’s supporters have vowed to stage nationwide protests if the activist is not released immediately, accusing the police of acting as “a political weapon” to suppress opposition voices.
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