By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Tension erupted on Friday outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja when police officers allegedly assaulted and forcefully bundled human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, into a waiting van, moments after the court had granted him bail.
Witnesses recounted that the chaos broke out shortly after the magistrate approved bail for Sowore and 13 others arrested in connection with the recent #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, the activist was attacked while his legal representatives were still in the process of perfecting his bail terms.
The police team, led by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the matter, CSP Ilyasu Barau, who heads the Anti-Vice Unit under the FCT Command’s Criminal Investigation Department, allegedly descended on Sowore, beat him up, dragged him across the ground, and shoved him into a police van.
“The IPO punched him and pushed him violently into the van. They manhandled him badly,” — SaharaReporters wrote.
When Sowore’s lawyers and supporters demanded to see the remand order that the officers claimed to possess, the police reportedly failed to produce any document. “They said there was a secret remand order, but no one saw it,” another source said.
Some members of the legal team were also said to have been assaulted as they tried to intervene during the scuffle.
In defiance of the court’s decision, the police allegedly moved Sowore to the Kuje Correctional Centre, insisting they were acting under directives related to the supposed secret remand order.
Earlier in the day, Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’Id had granted Sowore and the 13 co-defendants bail set at ₦500,000 each, with conditions including the provision of a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three years of tax clearance certificates, and the submission of their international passports.
Those granted bail along with Sowore were identified as Aloy Ejimakor, lawyer to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the IPOB leader’s brother.
Sowore’s arrest on Thursday outside the Federal High Court in Abuja had already stirred widespread criticism across social media, as civil society organisations and rights advocates accused the police of harassment and disregard for judicial authority.
A long-time government critic and journalist, Sowore has faced several arrests over the years. His supporters have described the latest incident as another attempt to stifle dissent and erode the rule of law.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not released any official statement clarifying the reasons behind Sowore’s transfer to the Kuje Prison.