A magistrate court in Abuja has granted bail to human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, Aloy Ejimakor, one of Nnamdi Kanu’s disengaged lawyers, and 11 other defendants arrested during the recent #FreeNnamdiKanu protests in the city.
Sowore was apprehended by police on Thursday, shortly after leaving the Federal High Court, where he had participated in demonstrations supporting the release of the IPOB leader.
Authorities accused him of leading protestors into restricted areas of Abuja’s city center.
Ejimakor and the remaining defendants, Emmanuel Kanu, Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu, had earlier been remanded on Tuesday for allegedly inciting public disturbance during the demonstration.
All 13 individuals were reportedly arrested at various locations in Abuja during the protest on Monday.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’I granted bail of N500,000 each.
The court also imposed additional conditions, including the submission of verified National Identification Numbers (NINs), three-year tax clearance certificates, and the surrender of passports.
The decision comes amid heightened public attention on the #FreeNnamdiKanu movement, sparking broader debates about the right to peaceful protest and civic engagement in Nigeria.
