THE NIGERIA Police Force said it arrested the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore for luring protesters into a restricted area to protest in contravention of an order of a court.
The Force Public Relation Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said this during a media conference on Thursday in Abuja.
“Sowore has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force and the reason is that the 13 people that were arrested previously in connection to “FreeNnamdiKanu” protest gave their statements.
“From the statements, every one of them mentioned that one Sowore led them into the restricted area in contravention of the court order.
“So, it would be most unfair to charge some people to court and leave the person that led them to commit the offence. And that’s why, in the spirit of fair play, and to ensure that justice is served, Sowore was arrested today,” he said.
According to the police spokesman, like the others too, Sowore will not spend up to 24 hours with the police because we will arraign him as soon as we wrap up his charges.
“In fact, if everything goes right, our plan is to ensure that he’s arraigned today,” he said.
Hundeyin said 13 suspects had earlier been arrested in connection to the protest for violating an order of a court, restricting protest in some areas in Abuja.
He said eight of the suspects were arrested on Monday around the Transcorp area of Abuja, while five others were arrested around the Ministry of Finance.
According to him, they were arrested because they contravened the court order that restricted movements within those areas despite several warnings. He said the suspects were arraigned in court within 24 hours.
Meanwhile the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Oct. 29 for hearing of the suit filed by the police against Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held on Monday.
The suit, which was earlier scheduled for Monday for the respondents in the ex-parte motion to show cause why the interim order made by the court should be vacated, could not go on.
The hearing was stalled as a result of the protest which held same day, crippling the court activities at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Mohammed Umar had made an interim order, restraining Sowore and others from protesting for the release of Nnamdi Kanu in some sensitive areas in Abuja.
Justice Umar barred the protesters from demonstrating around the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The judge also made an order of abridgement of time “within which the respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause the ex-parte order be set aside on Monday, the 20th of October, 2025 at 9.00am,” before adjourning until Oct. 20 for hearing of the motion on notice.
The order followed the ex-parte motion moved by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, on behalf of Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), on Friday.
The Police Force, in the ex-parte motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, had sued Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd, and Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation as 1st to 3rd respondents.
The force also joined Take It Back Movement (TIB), for the Transformation of Nigeria Or Any Form of Organisation or Any Other Person(s) Acting Either Express or Implied Instruction or Any Other Organisation or Group With the Like Intention; and Unknown Persons as 4th to 5th respondents respectively.
In the affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion deposed to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja, the officer averred that if not granted, the protest might threaten the national security.
NAN reports that Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, had planned to organised the protest for the release of Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Sowore, the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of African Action Congress (ACC), had mobilised for what he called a planned peaceful protest against Kanu’s detention on Oct. 20.
A number of persons were reported to have been arrested during the protest, including Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who are billed for arraignment on Oct. 24 at a Kuje Magistrate Court in Abua.
Meanwhile, Sowore was, earlier on Thursday, whisked away from the precincts of the Federal High Court in Abuja by armed policemen, shortly after he made appearance for Kanu, whose case was heard in court.
Sowore was accosted by the security operatives who insisted he must move with them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
When he 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.(NAN)
