(DDM) – A Magistrate Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, his brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and eleven other protesters arrested during Thursday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the protesters were arraigned before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on Friday on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
The court granted bail to Sowore and the co-defendants in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with the condition that they provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN).
The magistrate further directed all defendants to submit three-year tax clearance certificates and deposit their international passports as part of the bail conditions.
Sowore, who was arrested on Thursday by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force shortly after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja, spent the night in detention before being arraigned.
Videos of his arrest, which went viral online, showed police officers forcibly dragging the activist into a vehicle, sparking outrage among Nigerians and international observers.
Civil society groups and human rights advocates condemned the arrest, describing it as “a blatant attempt to silence dissent and criminalize peaceful protest.”
DDM learned that the protest, held near the Federal High Court in Abuja, was organized to demand the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has remained in custody despite several court orders for his release.
Sowore, a consistent voice for human rights and social justice, has been a prominent figure in Nigeria’s civil resistance movements for over three decades.
He first gained national prominence as a student leader during the 1990s pro-democracy struggles against military rule and later as the founder of SaharaReporters, a New York-based online news platform known for its fearless exposés of corruption and abuse of power.
His arrest adds to a long list of confrontations with the Nigerian government, including previous detentions by the Department of State Services (DSS) following his call for the #RevolutionNow protests in 2019.
Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, and Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, were also detained during the protest but were released under the same bail terms.
Supporters of the group expressed relief at the court’s decision, saying it represented a small victory for freedom of expression in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the Kuje Magistrate Court was charged as activists, journalists, and sympathizers gathered to show solidarity with Sowore and the others.
Speaking briefly after the ruling, Sowore reaffirmed his commitment to nonviolent resistance and transparency, saying no amount of intimidation would stop Nigerians from demanding justice and accountability.
He said, “We will continue to fight for freedom, not just for Nnamdi Kanu, but for every Nigerian suffering injustice.”
As of Friday evening, the legal teams were finalizing bail documentation to secure the immediate release of all defendants while the case continues in court.
The incident underscores the growing tension between law enforcement and civic activists in Nigeria, as calls for political reform and justice intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.