From David Onuoja, Abuja
Shortly after an Abuja Magistrate Court, granted the publisher of Sahara Reporters and activist, Omoyele Sowore bail, he was again re-arrested by the Nigerian Police.
It was learnt that Sowore, was re-arrested outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja; after his initial bail.
Speaking on the re-arrest, the Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR), said, it marked “a new and dangerous descent into lawlessness and authoritarianism under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
SNWR condemned what it described as the “reckless and unlawful” re-arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore in Abuja by officers of the Nigerian Police Force shortly after a court granted him bail on Friday.
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In a statement signed by its coordinator, Daniel Akande, the group said Sowore’s re-arrest outside the Kuje Magistrate Court was dangerous.
It was gathered that the chaos erupted on Friday morning, outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja after police officers punched and forcefully dragged Sowore, a former presidential candidate, into a waiting vehicle despite the court granting him bail.
The information available to our correspondent said, while his legal team was in the process of perfecting his bail conditions, police officers, 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, pounced on him, manhandled him, and forced him into a waiting police van, it was alleged.
According to an eye witnesses, Sowore was assaulted as he resisted attempts by the officers to take him away without a proper explanation.
“The IPO punched him, dragged him to the ground, and pushed him violently into the van. They really manhandled him,” one eyewitness said.
“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.”
However, one of the officers reportedly claimed that they were acting on a remand order, authorising Sowore’s transfer to Kuje Correctional Centre.
Witnesses accused the police of disregarding the court’s bail ruling and attempting to detain him under questionable circumstances secretly.
The Court also directed the defendants to present their three-year tax clearance certificates and submit their passports as part of the bail conditions.
Earlier, a Magistrate Court in Kuje this morning, granted the bail on an application for the release of the aforementioned.
It was learnt earlier that thirteen defendants were all arrested and arraigned before the court for inciting public disturbance and breach of peace in connection with the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held on Monday, October 20, in Abuja.
