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By Lukman Olabiyi
The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has condemned the re-arrest of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force shortly after he was granted bail by a Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja yesterday.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Oguntimehin, the OPC described the development as a blatant disregard for due process and a disturbing throwback to the authoritarian practices of Nigeria’s military era.
Sowore was earlier arrested on Thursday within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja by armed policemen. The arrest followed a peaceful protest he led in Abuja on Monday, October 20, as part of the #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstrations that spread across parts of the country.
After being arraigned on Friday, Sowore and others, including Prince Emmanuel Kanu, brother to Nnamdi Kanu, a former member of Kanu’s legal team, and ten others were granted bail by the court. Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties residing in the Federal Capital Territory, along with valid identification and three years of tax clearance.
However, despite meeting the bail conditions, Sowore was reportedly re-arrested by police moments after his court appearance.
“Ordinarily, protest is an integral part of democracy. The demonstration led by Sowore was peaceful, no lives were lost and no property was destroyed.
“Since Sowore had already been charged to court and granted bail, his re-arrest by the Police is reminiscent of the military era when dissenting voices were brutally suppressed,” he said.
He further emphasised that arbitrary or unlawful arrests erode public confidence and contravene Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of freedom and due process.
The OPC called on the authorities to ensure Sowore’s unconditional release, having fulfilled his bail conditions, and to uphold his fundamental rights in accordance with the rule of law.
