A Magistrate Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to human rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, alongside several others arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
The defendants, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, his brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and eleven other protesters, were arraigned on Friday before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on charges bordering on unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
The court granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with conditions that include the submission of their National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and their international passports.
Sowore was reportedly arrested on Thursday by police officers shortly after he left the Federal High Court in Abuja, an incident that was captured in several online videos. The footage, which quickly spread across social media, sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from civil rights groups and democracy advocates who described the arrest as an attempt to suppress lawful dissent.
Known for his unwavering activism and bold journalism, Omoyele Sowore has been a central figure in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement for over two decades. Through his media platform, SaharaReporters, he has consistently exposed corruption and advocated for transparency, good governance, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
As of press time, Sowore and the other defendants were expected to perfect their bail conditions pending further proceedings. The development has once again reignited public discourse around freedom of expression, lawful protest, and the state of civic rights in Nigeria.
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