Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services of frustrating the release of detained activist and blogger, Justice Mark Chidiebere, despite his compliance with most of the bail conditions imposed by the court.
In a post shared on X on Thursday, Sowore alleged that the DSS was deliberately withholding Chidiebere’s international passport, thereby preventing him from fully meeting the conditions required for his release on bail.
“It should be noted that Justice Mark Chidiebere, aka Justice Crack, has fulfilled virtually all his bail conditions except one issue involving the deposit of his international passport,” Sowore stated.
“Ironically, the passport is currently in the custody of the lawless DSS, which has refused to release it to his lawyers to enable full compliance with the bail conditions and secure his release from unjust detention,” he added.
Sowore further alleged that the bail conditions may have been intentionally structured to make compliance difficult.
“It now appears that the bail conditions themselves may have been deliberately designed to make compliance impossible in the first place, thereby prolonging his unlawful incarceration despite the court’s ruling,” he said.
The comments have renewed public criticism of Nigeria’s security agencies over allegations of disobedience to court orders and abuse of detention powers.
Sowore maintained that Chidiebere’s continued detention violates his constitutional rights and undermines the authority of the judiciary.
Justice Crack was granted bail on May 18, 2026, by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court approved bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum.
As part of the bail conditions, the surety is required to reside within the court’s jurisdiction, maintain a fixed address for at least four years, and provide proof of residence through a tenancy agreement or certificate of occupancy.
The court also ordered that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15, with evidence of salary payments, authentication from a head of department, proof of pensionable employment, an affidavit of means, and a recent passport photograph.
Justice Abdulmalik further directed that Chidiebere must deposit his international passport with the court before he can regain his freedom.
The blogger is currently being prosecuted by the DSS over alleged cybercrime offences connected to a viral video involving the Nigerian Army.