Sowore Released After Four Days in Kuje Custody

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Omoyele Sowore, has regained his freedom after spending four days in detention at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja.

The activist confirmed his release on Monday through a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle. In his words, “HAPPENING NOW: Leaving Kuje Prison in Abuja after being detained there illegally for four days by @officialABAT, illegal IGP, Kayode Egbetokun. #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.”

Sowore’s arrest came last Thursday after he attended a court hearing involving the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He was among 14 people apprehended by the Nigeria Police Force during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the capital city.

Among those detained were Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and Emmanuel Kanu, the separatist leader’s younger brother.

Speaking to newsmen on Monday evening, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, Adamu Duza, confirmed that Sowore and the others had been granted bail and released.

He said, “Yes, Sowore has been released along with 13 others who were arrested during the protest. They were granted bail.”

The group was arraigned last Friday before Magistrate Abubakar Sai’id at the Kuje Magistrate Court on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.

In his ruling, Magistrate Sai’id granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦500,000 and required them to provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN), a three-year tax clearance certificate, and their international passports before release.

After fulfilling the bail requirements, Sowore and the others were freed from Kuje Custodial Centre on Monday.

His detention drew public criticism from civil rights organisations and pro-democracy advocates who accused security agencies of unlawful arrest and abuse of citizens’ rights.

Sowore, who has remained one of Nigeria’s most vocal critics of government policies, reiterated his determination to continue campaigning for justice, democracy, and the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Analysts note that Sowore’s arrest and subsequent release have once again reignited debates about the state of civic freedoms in Nigeria, particularly regarding the handling of peaceful protests and dissent.