A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to Sahara Reporters publisher and activist, Omoyele Sowore, alongside Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, Kanu’s brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten other supporters arrested over the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
Delivering its ruling on Friday, the court fixed bail for each of the 13 defendants at ₦500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The defendants were charged with inciting public disturbance and breach of peace following their participation in the pro-Kanu demonstration held in Abuja on Monday, October 20, 2025.
According to PUNCH Online, the group had converged at strategic points in the Federal Capital Territory to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in custody amid his ongoing terrorism trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
While Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others were arrested during the protest and detained at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Sowore’s arrest came three days later — on October 23 — at the premises of the Federal High Court, where he had gone to show solidarity with Kanu during his court appearance.
Eyewitnesses said Sowore was seized by security operatives shortly after addressing a crowd of supporters outside the court.
His arrest drew swift condemnation from civil society groups, pro-democracy activists, and opposition figures, who described it as an “unlawful clampdown on peaceful assembly.”
The defence team, led by human rights lawyers, argued that the arrests were politically motivated and violated the constitutional rights of citizens to protest peacefully.
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The prosecution, however, maintained that the protest disrupted public order and warranted the charges brought against the defendants.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the Kuje Magistrate’s Court granted the defendants bail with the condition that each must produce two reliable sureties resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
The court also ordered the defendants to refrain from further public demonstrations pending the conclusion of the case.
The decision was widely welcomed by rights advocates, who hailed it as a “step toward justice” while urging the authorities to respect citizens’ freedom of expression and peaceful protest.
As of press time, arrangements were being made for the immediate release of all 13 defendants from custody following the court’s ruling.
Punch
