Sowore, 13 others regain freedom after Kuje detention

Sowore, 13 others regain freedom after Kuje detention

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre alongside 13 others, days after their arrest during a protest in Abuja.

The group, which includes Nnamdi Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, and Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration held last week in the Federal Capital Territory.

They were arraigned before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id at the Kuje Magistrate Court on Friday on charges bordering on unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.

The court granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with conditions including a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three years’ tax clearance certificates, and submission of their international passports.

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Their release was delayed due to administrative bottlenecks, including the initial refusal to sign the release bond. However, after fulfilling the bail conditions, they were freed from custody on Monday.

Sowore was reportedly picked up by security operatives on Thursday shortly after attending a session at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised over the welfare of the detainees while in custody. Ejimakor was said to have fallen ill, with his lawyer, Maxwell Opara, confirming that he was recuperating. Reports also alleged that the detainees were teargassed and beaten before being transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the FCT Police Command and later held overnight at the SARS detention facility known as Abattoir.

The group was subsequently brought before the court without legal representation and remanded in Kuje Prison.

In a related development, an awaiting trial inmate at the Kuje facility, identified as Dung Bulus Pam, reportedly died overnight from an undisclosed ailment.

The release of the protesters has sparked renewed calls for improved handling of peaceful demonstrations and the protection of citizens’ rights in the country.

Sowore, 13 others regain freedom after Kuje detention