By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, was rearrested by police officers shortly after he and 13 other FreeNnamdiKanu protesters were granted N500,000 bail by Kuje Magistrates’ Court in Abuja on Friday, October 24.
According to eyewitnesses, Sowore was arrested and forcefully dragged into a waiting vehicle by police officers while his legal team was in the process of perfecting his bail conditions.
The police officers were led by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case, identified as CSP Ilyasu Barau, OC Anti-Vice, under DC-CID, FCT Command.
The eyewitnesses said Sowore was assaulted as he resisted attempts by the officers to take him away without a proper explanation.
The officers were reported to have claimed that they were acting on a remand order authorising Sowore’s transfer to Kuje Correctional Centre.
“The IPO punched him, dragged him on the ground, and pushed him violently into the van. They really manhandled him.
“When we demanded to see the remand order they claimed to have obtained from the court, the officer refused to produce any document.
“Police forcefully took Sowore to prison despite the bail granted to him. They cited a secret remand order,” one of the eyewitnesses said.
Sowore and 13 others arrested in connection with the #FreeNnanmdiKanuNow protesters were granted bail with a sum of N500,000 each by Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja on Friday.
The magistrate, Abubakar Umar Sai’I’d, asked the defendants to present a verified national identification number (NIN), submit three-year tax clearance certificates and passports as part of their bail conditions.
Sowore, as well as one of Nnamdi Kanu’s disengaged lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor, brother, Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 others were granted bail by the court on Friday.
Others granted bail are Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu.
Recall that Sowore was arrested on Thursday, October 23, within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja by armed policemen.
He was arrested shortly after he appeared in solidarity with the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The security operatives who arrested Sowore said they were acting on the orders of the Commissioner of Police and insisted that he must come with them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, Sowore was arrested for leading the #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters to “restricted areas” in the city centre.
The 13 other defendants were arrested at different locations in Abuja during the protest on Monday, October 20.
They were subsequently remanded in custody for holding the protest in disregard to a subsisting court order.
