A Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore; Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor; the IPOB leader’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and ten other protesters arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration held in Abuja on Monday, October 20.
Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with the court ordering them to submit their verified National Identification Number (NIN) to the registrar. They are also required to present three-year tax clearance certificates and surrender their international passports pending the conclusion of the case.
The protesters were arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force for allegedly engaging in an unlawful assembly and disturbing public peace.
Speaking after the ruling, Sowore described the arrest as “a brazen violation of the fundamental right to peaceful protest,” insisting that Nigerians “must not be silenced for demanding justice and accountability.”
Ejimakor, counsel to the detained IPOB leader, also expressed relief at the court’s decision, saying, “This is a vindication of our position that we did nothing wrong. Peaceful protest is a constitutional right, not a crime.”
Civil society groups and pro-democracy advocates have also condemned the arrests, calling them an attempt to intimidate citizens. “The continued clampdown on peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable in a democratic society,” said a spokesperson for one of the rights groups monitoring the case.
Sowore was reportedly apprehended on Thursday, October 23, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had gone to show solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu during his ongoing terrorism trial.
Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is facing terrorism-related charges filed by the Federal Government following his arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021.
The court’s decision to grant bail has been welcomed by supporters and human rights organizations, who continue to call for Kanu’s release and respect for the rule of law.
“This ruling is a small victory for democracy,” Sowore said. “But the bigger fight is ensuring freedom for Nnamdi Kanu and all Nigerians unjustly detained.”
