The Kuje Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory has granted bail to human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, alongside Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, Prince Emmanuel Kanu (Kanu’s brother), and 11 other protesters arrested during Thursday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in Abuja.
The bail ruling was delivered on Friday by Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id, following the defendants’ arraignment on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
According to the court order, each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with strict conditions including the presentation of a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and the submission of their international passports.
Sowore and the others were arrested on Thursday by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force shortly after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they had joined calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Videos of the arrest, which quickly went viral online, sparked widespread outrage among civil society groups and human rights advocates.
Several organisations, including pro-democracy groups and rights defenders, condemned the arrests as another attempt to intimidate activists and stifle peaceful dissent.
Sowore, a veteran journalist and longtime pro-democracy campaigner, has been a key voice in Nigeria’s struggle for transparency and accountability. Through his media platform, SaharaReporters, he has exposed numerous high-profile corruption scandals and human rights abuses within the Nigerian government.
This latest incident marks yet another chapter in Sowore’s long-running clash with state authorities over his activism and outspoken criticism of government repression.
The defendants are expected to meet their bail conditions before being released, pending further proceedings at the Magistrate Court.