Deborah Akinyosoye
Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has been whisked away from the precincts of the Federal High Court in Abuja by armed policemen, shortly after he made appearance for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who is a frontline agitator for Kanu’s release from detention, was on Thursday accosted by the security operatives who insisted he must move with them to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command.
Asked what his offence was, one of the officers explained that they were executing an order from the Commissioner of Police.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the officer added.
Even though he queried the absence of a letter of invitation to him, Sowore, who maintained that his lawyer must accompany him, was taken away in a police van.
It will be recalled that the activist and publisher of an online news platform, Sahara Reporters, was among the organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest that rocked Abuja and other parts of the country last Monday.
In the course of the protest, 12 persons, including Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, and one of his lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, were arrested and subsequently remanded at the Kuje prison.
Police, in the First Information Report, FIR, it filed before a Chief Magistrate Court at Kuje, alleged that the defendants, during the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest, which it said was held in disobedience to a court order, chanted war songs while disrupting the free flow of traffic.
It alleged that they engaged in criminal conspiracy, incited disturbance and disturbed public peace, offences punishable under sections 152, 114 and 113 of the Penal Code Law.
The charge against them read: “That on 20th day of October, 2025, you (1). Barrister Aloy Ejimakor (2). Prince Emmanuel Kanu, (3). Joshua Emmanuel, (4). Bishop Wilson Anyalewechi, (5). Barrister Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, (6). Clinton Chimeneze, (7). Gabriel Joshua, (8). Isiaka Husseini, (9). Onyekachi Ferdinand. (10). Amadi Prince (11). Edison Ojisom and (12). Godwill Obiama, all male adults of FCT Abuja were arrested by a team of security agents in different locations within FCT while involving yourselves in inciting disturbance, and breach of public Peace in disobedience to a court Order, denying other citizens the freedom of movement, disrupting free flow of traffic while chanting war songs and requesting for the release of Nnamdi Kanu who is undergoing lawful trial at the Federal High Court in a manner that threatens National Security. You thereby committed the above-mentioned offences.”
The court fixed Friday to take the plea of the defendants on the charge.
It is not yet clear if the charge would be amended to include Sowore as a defendant.