The Nigeria Police Force has defended its decision to transfer human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to Kuje Correctional Centre shortly after he was granted bail by a magistrate court in Abuja.
Sowore, who was arrested on Thursday over alleged incitement and breach of public peace following the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, was arraigned alongside 12 others before the Kuje Magistrate Court on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court granted him bail in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties. However, before his legal team could perfect the bail conditions, police officers reportedly re-arrested him and whisked him away.
Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, accused the police of using excessive force, claiming that over 50 armed officers stormed the court, attacked Sowore, and forcibly removed him without showing a valid remand order.
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“The officer flashed a document he called a remand order but refused to let us see it. When we asked where they were taking him, he said Kuje Prison,” Adeyanju said, alleging that Sowore’s shirt was torn during the scuffle.
In response, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the police action on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that the transfer was lawful.
He stated: “Once a court grants bail, the suspect remains in custody until the bail conditions are met. Where a remand warrant specifies a correctional facility, it is the duty of the police to hand the suspect over to the Nigeria Correctional Service.”
Hundeyin also shared a copy of the remand warrant and stressed that the police were empowered to use “commensurate force” when carrying out lawful duties.
The incident has sparked widespread debate among human rights advocates and legal practitioners, many of whom have called for transparency and restraint in the handling of politically sensitive cases.
