A shocking scene of lawlessness and state-backed impunity unfolded today at the Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja, as armed police officers violently re-arrested human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner Omoyele Sowore immediately after he was granted bail by the court.
Eyewitnesses, including lawyers, journalists, and supporters present in court, described the incident as a “brazen assault on the judiciary” and a “direct attack on the rule of law.”
According to reports, the court had just granted Sowore bail on liberal terms when a team of police operatives led by CSP Iliyasu, the Officer in Charge of Anti-Vice, FCT Command CID, stormed the premises in a commando-style operation. The officers allegedly overpowered court officials, assaulted Sowore’s legal team and supporters, and whisked the activist away to an undisclosed location.
Sowore’s counsel, Barrister Tope Temokun, who was physically assaulted in the process, confirmed the incident to Chronicles Reporters.
“This was not an arrest. It was an abduction in broad daylight,” Temokun said. “After the court courageously granted bail, the police, enraged by the ruling, descended on us. I was beaten, my clothes bloodied, and Sowore was dragged away like a criminal. This is a total mockery of justice.”
Temokun emphasized that Sowore was not taken to any lawful detention facility or prison as might be expected after a court ruling but instead was “spirited away by the police to an unknown destination.”
Observers at the court described the conduct of the police as “an affront to the authority of the judiciary” and “a frightening return to dictatorship under a democratic disguise.”
The incident reportedly followed repeated attempts by police representatives to frustrate Sowore’s bail earlier in the day. Despite the pressure, the magistrate stood firm and upheld the law—an act that seemingly provoked the police officers’ violent response.
“This is not law enforcement; this is executive banditry,” one observer lamented. “It’s clear that what we are witnessing is not about justice but a deliberate attempt to silence dissent.”
The Chronicles Reporters can confirm that Sowore’s legal team has raised an alarm over his safety and is calling for immediate public outrage and institutional intervention.
Temokun, speaking from the Kuje court shortly after the incident, issued a strong appeal:
“We call on the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, and all lovers of justice to condemn this desecration of the judiciary. The court order granting bail must be respected. This is a dark and painful day for democracy in Nigeria.”
Today’s event underscores the growing tension between the Nigerian judiciary and security agencies over the enforcement of court orders, particularly in politically sensitive cases.
As of press time, Sowore’s exact whereabouts remain unknown. His supporters have vowed to continue demanding his immediate release, warning that the illegal abduction of a citizen from court premises marks a dangerous slide toward tyranny.