Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and 12 other protesters, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and Kanu’s younger brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, have been released from Kuje Prison after meeting their bail conditions.
The group was arrested on October 20 for participating in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja, which demanded the immediate release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The protesters were arraigned before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with the condition that they present a verified National Identification Number (NIN), submit their three-year tax clearance certificates, and passports.
Following the perfection of their bail terms, Sowore, Ejimakor, and the others were released from Kuje Prison on Monday.
The arrests and detention of the protesters drew widespread condemnation from civil society groups and human rights advocates, who described the actions as an attempt to stifle dissent and frustrate Nnamdi Kanu’s defense ahead of his upcoming trial.
Sowore’s release comes after allegations of police brutality and attempts to rearrest him despite the court granting him bail.
