Nigerian Police Rearrest Activist Sowore After Court Grants Bail

By The Staff Report

Nigerian police have rearrested former presidential candidate and pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore just hours after a court granted him bail, his legal team said Friday.

Sowore and 12 other protesters had been detained on October 20 during a demonstration in Abuja calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the jailed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement. Among those arrested was Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the brother of the IPOB leader.

A magistrate court had earlier granted bail to all the detainees, but Sowore’s lawyers said he was taken into custody again moments after completing bail procedures. “This is a mockery of the rule of law and a violation of his fundamental rights,” the legal team said in a statement.

The police have not issued a public explanation for the rearrest. Sowore, who ran for president in 2019 and is known for his #RevolutionNow campaign, has long been a vocal critic of government corruption and human rights abuses. He has faced multiple arrests in recent years, including a 2019 detention by Nigeria’s secret police after organizing nationwide protests.

Rights groups have condemned the latest move as an attempt to silence dissent and intimidate activists. Observers say the episode highlights continuing tensions between Nigerian authorities and civil society, particularly around the treatment of protesters and political critics.

Sowore remains in police custody as his legal team seeks his immediate release.