(DDM) – Shocking details have emerged on how operatives of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly colluded with a Kuje Chief Magistrate to ensure that human rights activist Omoyele Sowore was remanded in prison under questionable circumstances.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Sowore, who was arraigned on what his supporters described as “frivolous and politically motivated charges,” was forcibly taken to the Kuje Correctional Centre even after the magistrate reportedly granted him bail.
According to eyewitness accounts shared by Sahara Reporters, police officers deliberately delayed the bail process, then drove the magistrate away from the court premises, preventing him from signing the bail bond required for Sowore’s release.
Sources at the scene told DDM that the police team acted under clear instructions from “higher authorities” who allegedly ordered that the activist must sleep in prison that night, regardless of the court’s bail pronouncement.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Sowore appeared before a magistrate on charges of unlawful assembly and breach of peace. Despite his legal team’s swift preparation of bail documents, officers allegedly resisted all efforts to have the paperwork signed.
By evening, the activist was bundled into a police van and taken straight to Kuje Prison, a move described by lawyers and civil rights groups as a “brazen abuse of judicial process.”
An associate close to Sowore told DDM that the police not only violated his fundamental rights but also acted in contempt of court. “This is not law enforcement; this is political persecution,” the source said.
Lawyers who were present claimed the magistrate, after being driven away by officers, later communicated through intermediaries that he was “under pressure” not to sign the bail bond.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria have since condemned the act, calling for Sowore’s immediate release and an investigation into the conduct of both the police and the magistrate.
DDM recalls that Sowore, a pro-democracy campaigner and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has faced repeated arrests since his 2019 “Revolution Now” protest against bad governance and corruption in Nigeria.
This latest incident, rights groups warn, reinforces fears that the Nigerian justice system is increasingly being weaponised to silence dissenting voices.
Political observers say the development exposes deeper institutional rot, where judicial officers and security agencies act in concert to frustrate citizens exercising their democratic rights.
As at press time, Sowore’s lawyers confirmed that they had filed an urgent application demanding his release and calling for disciplinary action against all parties involved.
Meanwhile, public outrage continues to mount across social media, with Nigerians demanding accountability and describing the episode as “a dark stain on Nigeria’s democracy.”
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command, however, has yet to issue an official response regarding the allegations.
Human rights advocates say the matter will serve as a critical test for the new Inspector-General of Police and the judiciary’s independence under Nigeria’s current administration.
