Abuja, Nigeria – October 28, 2025 – In a development that has ignited fresh debates on freedom of expression and the rule of law in Nigeria, prominent human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore walked free from Kuje Correctional Centre on Monday, October 27, after four days of what his supporters decried as unlawful detention. Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters and a 2023 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), was released alongside 12 others, including Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; Kanu's brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and several protesters. Their discharge came after each met stringent bail conditions imposed by a Kuje Magistrate Court, underscoring the ongoing tensions between civil society and security forces in Africa's most populous nation.
The group had been arraigned on October 24 before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on charges of unlawful assembly, conspiracy, and disturbance of public peace, offenses stemming from their participation in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration on October 20. The protest, which drew dozens to the streets of Abuja, aimed to demand the unconditional release of Kanu, who has been in custody since his dramatic 2021 arrest by Nigerian authorities in Kenya. Kanu, charged with treasonable felony and terrorism, faces a high-stakes trial at the Federal High Court that has become a flashpoint for separatist sentiments in southeastern Nigeria. Demonstrators, including Sowore, were accused of violating a court order prohibiting marches on key routes leading to Nigeria's seat of power, the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, and other sensitive areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Eyewitness accounts and video footage circulating on social media captured the chaotic scenes of the arrests. On October 20, police operatives dispersed the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow rally with tear gas and baton charges, detaining over a dozen participants for "breaching public order." Sowore himself, however, was not nabbed during the initial crackdown. Instead, the 53-year-old activist was apprehended three days later, on October 23, outside the Federal High Court in Abuja. He had attended a hearing in Kanu's ongoing trial when operatives led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, the Officer in Charge of Anti-Vice under the FCT Command's Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (DC-CID), swooped in. Sowore's legal team was in the midst of perfecting bail paperwork for the earlier detainees when the arrest unfolded, prompting immediate outcry from rights groups.
"I was detained illegally," Sowore declared in a poignant post on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after his release, sharing images of himself emerging from the prison gates with a defiant smile. "The police took the law into their own hands, arresting me without warrant or justification. This is not justice; it's intimidation." His words echoed the sentiments of his lawyer, Tope Temokun, who confirmed the release in a statement, noting that while Sowore and the others had fulfilled the bail terms—each posting a N500,000 ($300) bond backed by two sureties of equal sum—the underlying charges remain pending. "We are pleased to announce to the Nigerian public and the international community that Mr. Omoyele Sowore has regained his freedom from prison custody today," Temokun said. "However, the legal battle is far from over. We will vigorously defend against these spurious allegations in court."
The bail hearing on October 24 was equally contentious. Prosecutors from the FCT Police Command argued that the defendants posed a "threat to public safety," citing the proximity of the protest routes to government buildings. Defense counsel, including Ejimakor, countered that the arrests violated constitutional rights to peaceful assembly under Section 40 of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution and Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which the country has ratified. Magistrate Sai’id, balancing these arguments, granted bail but admonished the group to "abide by the peace" pending trial. Videos shared online showed the released detainees—Sowore, Ejimakor, Prince Kanu, and the ten others—singing solidarity anthems as they exited Kuje Prison, their belongings in hand, a stark contrast to the grim facility known for housing high-profile inmates like Kanu himself.
This episode is but the latest chapter in Sowore's long saga of activism and adversity. Born in 1972 in Ondo State, Sowore rose to prominence as a student leader at the University of Lagos in the 1990s, where he founded the Student Union and spearheaded protests against military rule. His journalism career, particularly through Sahara Reporters, has exposed corruption scandals implicating top officials, earning him both accolades and enemies. In 2019, Sowore's #RevolutionNow movement called for an end to bad governance, leading to his arrest on treason charges—a case the government later dropped amid international pressure. Yet, Sowore's encounters with detention have been recurrent; in 2021, he was briefly held over a tweet criticizing then-President Muhammadu Buhari. "Every time they lock me up, it only strengthens the resolve," Sowore told reporters post-release, vowing to continue amplifying marginalized voices.
The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protests, which Sowore helped organize, are part of a broader resurgence in demands for Kanu's release. Kanu, 58, founded IPOB in 2012 to advocate for an independent Biafra, referencing the region's secessionist history during Nigeria's 1967-1970 civil war, which claimed over a million lives. Labeled a terrorist organization by Nigeria in 2017 and upheld by a court in 2021, IPOB has since splintered into factions amid Kanu's absence, with sit-at-home orders and clashes in the southeast disrupting daily life. Kanu's trial, now in its fourth year, has seen procedural delays; recently, he waived his right to call witnesses, opting for a "no-case submission" that argues the prosecution's evidence is insufficient. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly condemned his detention as "arbitrary," urging Nigeria to drop charges and allow self-determination referendums.
Ejimakor's involvement adds another layer of irony. As Kanu's lead counsel, the U.S.-based lawyer has shuttled between continents to defend his client, only to find himself behind bars for supporting the very cause. "This arrest was a blatant attempt to silence advocates," Ejimakor said in a video post-release, flanked by Sowore. Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who traveled from the U.S. to join the protest, echoed the frustration: "My brother's fight is for all of us—Biafrans and Nigerians alike. Releasing him would heal wounds that fester." The ten other detainees, mostly young activists from IPOB-affiliated groups, represented the grassroots energy of the movement, their release a small victory in a landscape where over 50 similar protesters remain in custody nationwide.
Reactions to the releases have been polarized. Supporters, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), hailed it as a "win for due process," with SERAP's executive director, Adedayo Alabi, stating, "The judiciary must not bend to executive overreach; Sowore's freedom reminds us that rights are not negotiable." On X, #SoworeFree trended with over 50,000 posts, featuring messages of solidarity from figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who tweeted, "Detaining voices like Sowore's only exposes the fragility of power." Conversely, government spokespeople defended the arrests, with FCT Police Commissioner Bennett Igwe insisting, "We acted to prevent anarchy; protests must respect court orders."
Yet, beneath the jubilation lies deeper unease. Nigeria's protest landscape has grown volatile under President Bola Tinubu's administration, which assumed power in May 2023 promising reforms but facing criticism over economic hardships and insecurity. The 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, inspired partly by Sowore's earlier mobilizations, saw hundreds arrested, with reports of extrajudicial killings by security forces. In the southeast, IPOB's influence persists despite the crackdown, with economic sabotage attributed to its enforcers costing billions. Analysts like Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, former National Human Rights Commission chair, warn that such detentions "erode public trust in institutions, fueling the very separatism they aim to suppress."
As Sowore steps back into the fray—already teasing future actions on X—his release serves as both relief and rallying cry. "There's nothing more painful than seeing innocent people left behind in prison," he reflected, alluding to the voiceless masses still ensnared in Nigeria's justice system. With Kanu's trial looming and protests undeterred, the coming weeks promise heightened scrutiny on Abuja's balancing act between security and civil liberties. For now, though, in the humid Abuja air, a cadre of freed activists breathes easier, their bonds unbroken and their fight far from over.
