Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been released from Kuje Prison in Abuja after meeting his bail conditions.
Sowore confirmed his release in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, saying:
“HAPPENING NOW: Leaving Kuje Prison in Abuja after being detained there illegally for four days. #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.”
Sowore was arrested along with Aloy Ejimakor (lawyer to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu), Emmanuel Kanu (Nnamdi Kanu’s brother), and 11 other protesters during a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja last week.
They were charged before a Magistrate Court in Kuje, presided over by Magistrate Abubakar Sai’id, for unlawful assembly and disturbing public peace.
The court granted each of the 14 defendants ₦500,000 bail, requiring a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and the deposit of their passports.
After fulfilling these conditions, they were all released on Monday.
Speaking after his release, Sowore described the Nigeria Police Force as an “irresponsible organisation” that acts outside the law.
He argued that if a court order is violated, only the court has the power to handle it not the police.
“If a court gives an order and it’s disobeyed, the proper step is to return to the court, not for the police to act on their own,” Sowore said.
He also accused the police of failing to serve any restraining order before the arrests.
“We were never served with any court order. Even if there was one, the law protects citizens’ fundamental human rights,” he added.