Abuja, 24 October 2025 – Prominent Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was allegedly assaulted and re-arrested by police officers shortly after a magistrate court granted him bail, according to eyewitness accounts and statements from his associates.
The incident occurred outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja, where Sowore had been arraigned alongside 13 others on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace. These charges stemmed from their participation in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest earlier this week, which called for the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu. Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id granted bail to all defendants, but as Sowore’s legal team was finalising the conditions, police officers intervened.
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, known on X as @adeyanjudeji, claimed that more than 50 police officers violently attacked Sowore and forcibly took him away, refusing to present any remand order. “More than 50 police officers violently attacked him [Omoyele Sowore] and took him again by force,” Adeyanju stated, adding that the officers allegedly refused to show the document justifying the re-arrest.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with officers led by Investigating Police Officer CSP Ilyasu Barau – the Officer in Charge of Anti-Vice under the DC-CID, FCT Command – dragging Sowore on the ground, punching him, and forcing him into a waiting police van despite his resistance. One eyewitness recounted: “The IPO punched him, dragged him on the ground, and forced him into the van. They really manhandled him.” When pressed for the remand order, the officers reportedly cited a “secret remand order” to transport him to Kuje Prison but declined to produce it.
This re-arrest follows Sowore’s initial detention on 23 October at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had appeared in solidarity with Kanu during a court hearing. The Nigeria Police Force, through spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, justified the arrest by stating that Sowore had been implicated by 13 other detained protesters as the leader who lured them into a restricted area in violation of a court order prohibiting protests in Abuja’s Three Arms Zone. Hundeyin emphasised that the action ensured fairness, noting: “It would be unjust to charge the followers without prosecuting their leader.” Sowore is expected to face similar charges and be arraigned within 24 hours.
The prohibited zones include areas around Aso Rock, the National Assembly Complex, and other key government sites, as ruled by Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court on 17 October. Police had issued warnings prior to the protest, threatening arrests under laws related to public order and terrorism.
Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and leader of the RevolutionNow movement, has a long history of confrontations with Nigerian authorities. He was previously arrested in 2019 on treason charges, detained, released on bail, and re-arrested within hours in a courtroom – an event that drew widespread condemnation. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the latest incident as “a new low” and “an open assault on democracy,” demanding Sowore’s immediate release and asserting that protest is a constitutional right.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also decried the arrest as “preposterous,” calling for Sowore’s unconditional release. On X, reactions varied, with some users praising Sowore’s resilience and others questioning the police’s actions. One post noted: “Yesterday @BenHundeyin said @YeleSowore was arrested for violating a court order. Today, police came to court to whisk him off after the Magistrate granted him bail.”
The incident has sparked renewed debate over freedom of assembly and police conduct in Nigeria, with calls for accountability from both government critics and supporters. As of now, Sowore remains in custody at Kuje Prison, awaiting further legal proceedings.
