Human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, was on Friday re-arrested by the Nigeria Police Force shortly after being granted bail by a Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja.

Sowore, a prominent campaigner for the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement, had appeared in court alongside Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who is Kanu’s brother, and ten other protesters arrested during the demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The court, presided over by Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’Id, granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each to all thirteen defendants after they were arraigned on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.

According to the ruling, each of the defendants was required to present two sureties who must be resident within the Federal Capital Territory and possess valid means of identification. They were also directed to submit their three-year tax clearance certificates and present verified National Identification Numbers (NINs) as part of the bail verification process. In addition, the magistrate ordered that their international passports be deposited with the court until the case is concluded.

Despite fulfilling all bail requirements, Sowore was reportedly re-arrested by police officers moments after the court proceedings. Eyewitnesses said he was whisked away to Kuje Prison, even as other defendants prepared to complete their bail documentation.

Police sources later confirmed that his re-arrest was connected to a fresh charge arising from his recent public remarks in which he allegedly claimed that President Bola Tinubu is a criminal. He is expected to be arraigned again on Monday, 27 October, on the new charge.

Sowore had initially been arrested on Thursday, shortly after leaving the Federal High Court in Abuja. Videos of the incident, which quickly spread across social media platforms, sparked widespread outrage and drew strong condemnation from civil society organisations and human rights advocates.

Many activists described the repeated arrests as part of a pattern of intimidation and harassment aimed at silencing government critics and suppressing public dissent. Several groups called on the authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Alongside Sowore, those granted bail include Aloy Ejimakor, Prince 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. Their bail orders remain valid, subject to verification of their sureties and the completion of all administrative procedures required by the court.

The arrests and Sowore’s subsequent re-arrest come amid rising tensions surrounding renewed calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in government custody since 2021. The situation has once again drawn attention to the delicate balance between national security enforcement and the protection of civil liberties in Nigeria.

Observers say the unfolding events underscore the persistent friction between the state and prominent activists, particularly in cases involving political dissent, protests, and the broader struggle for democratic freedoms.