Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, 12 Others Freed From Kuje Prison After Meeting Bail Conditions

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, along with Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and 12 other protesters, have been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre after meeting their bail conditions. Their release followed Friday’s ruling by Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id of the Kuje Magistrate Court, who granted them bail after they were arraigned on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.

The protesters, including Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, were arrested by police in Abuja during a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration last week. Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with conditions requiring a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three-year tax clearance certificates, and the submission of their passports.

Sowore’s arrest last Thursday occurred shortly after he left the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had attended a separate proceeding. His detention, alongside Ejimakor’s, drew sharp criticism from civil rights advocates who described the arrests as politically motivated and an attempt to suppress peaceful protest.

Ejimakor, who reportedly fell ill in custody, was said to have been held under harsh conditions at Kuje Prison and denied access to his lawyer, Maxwell Opara. Sources disclosed that his illness worsened after the magistrate allegedly delayed signing the bail bond despite earlier granting bail.

The detainees were reportedly beaten and teargassed before being transferred to the State CID unit and later remanded by the magistrate. Their detention came amid fresh controversy after an awaiting-trial inmate, identified as Dung Bulus Pam, died overnight at the same Kuje facility. Prison sources alleged that the same police prosecutor, Musa Adama, who handled the protesters’ case, was responsible for several questionable detentions that have left many awaiting trial for years.

Following the fulfillment of the bail requirements, Sowore, Ejimakor, and the others regained their freedom on Monday. Their release has been welcomed by supporters who continue to call for accountability over the arrests and for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).