Human rights activist and #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, was re-arrested by the Nigeria Police Force shortly after his appearance at the Kuje Magistrate Court on Friday.
Sowore, along with Prince Emmanuel Kanu—brother to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu—and several others, had earlier been granted bail of ₦500,000 each, with conditions including two sureties residing in the Federal Capital Territory, valid identification, and three years’ tax clearance.
Despite meeting the bail requirements, Sowore was reportedly detained again and taken to Kuje Prison shortly after the court session. He is expected to be arraigned on Monday, October 27, on a new charge related to a social media post in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
According to court filings, the Department of State Services (DSS) had earlier filed a five-count charge against Sowore for allegedly publishing false and inciting statements on social media. The charges stem from an August 26 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which Sowore criticised Tinubu’s comments during a visit to Brazil.
The DSS claimed the post was capable of causing public unrest and disunity, citing violations of Sections 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as Sections 375 and 59 of the Criminal Code Act.
The agency had previously issued a one-week ultimatum demanding that Sowore retract what it described as a “false and inciting” statement. When he refused, the DSS proceeded to file charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja, naming X Corp and Meta Inc. (Facebook) as co-defendants for failing to remove the post.
The case is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Muhammed Abubakar, who alleged that Sowore used his verified social media accounts to publish content aimed at inciting the public against the President.
