Why we took him away – FPRO
By our Correspondents
Irate Nigerians have taken to social media spaces to vent their anger over what they described as ‘abduction’ of Mr. Omoleye Sowore today by armed police men.
Activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr Sowore and his co-defendants were arrested a fortnight ago by the Police while protesting, demanding for the release of separatist and leader of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
They were arraigned today at the Kuje Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. They were granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with two sureties in like sum, after being charged with unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
However, shortly after the court proceedings, Sowore was re-arrested by the Nigerian Police outside the court premises, despite reportedly meeting the bail conditions.
According to media reports, Sowore is billed for another arraignment on October 27, 2025, on a fresh charge related to his claim that President Bola Tinubu is a ‘criminal’.
Reacting, Inibehe Effiong, an Activist cum human rights lawyer, strongly condemned the Nigerian Police for re-arresting Omoyele Sowore, saying they are “making a mockery of our judicial system”.
Effiong stated that Sowore did not breach any court order, and the police are inventing lies to justify his arrest. He stressed that even if the protesters had violated the court order, the police should have followed the proper procedure for addressing contempt, rather than resorting to self-help.
Responding to the backlash as reported by Channels Television, the Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said his men took Sowore back to prison as ordered by the court, pending his meeting bail conditions.
According to Hundeyin “Your story that he was arrested on a fresh charge and ‘whisked away…to Kuje Prison…to be arraigned on Monday’ is procedurally incorrect. A person arrested on a fresh charge cannot be taken straight to prison. No prison will accept such a person without a remand warrant duly issued by a competent court.
He was taken to prison as instructed on the attached remand warrant pending when he meets his bail conditions, nothing more!”.
