The Nigeria Police Force has explained the reasons behind the transfer of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to Kuje Prison shortly after he was granted bail by the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja. Recall that Sowore was initially arrested by the police on charges bordering on incitement and alleged breach of public peace.
The court granted bail to Sowore with N500,000 and two sureties, which his legal team was working to perfect before the former presidential aspirant was re–arrested.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja shortly after the incident, human rights activist Deji Adeyanju accused the police of violently attacking and removing Sowore moments after his bail was granted.
According to him, over 50 armed officers stormed the court premises, descended on Omoyele, and took him away by force while refusing to present a valid remand order.
“Sowore had just been granted bail, and while we were conferring with him here, the police suddenly launched an attack. More than 50 officers violently descended on him and took him away by force. We don’t even know where they have taken him.
The officer flashed the document, and when we insisted on reviewing it, he pocketed it and ordered that they must go. When we asked where they were taking him, he said Kuje Prison. We demanded to see the remand order as endorsed by the court, but he refused.
Because Sowore called the IG useless, they must deal with him,” he said.
However, reacting to Sowore’s re-arrest via X (formerly Twitter), the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed that the police acted within the law.
Attaching a remand warrant to his post, he stated that officers are empowered to use commensurate force to carry out their duties.
“Except we want to be mischievous, we all know that once court grants a suspect bail, it comes with the caveat that until the bail conditions are met, the suspect remains in custody.
Where it is clearly spelt out on the remand warrant that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility, not police custody, it is the duty of the police to hand over the suspect to the Nigeria Correctional Service, who would then process his bail conditions.
This has always been the practice. Why should this be different? Also, as law enforcement officers, we are empowered by law to employ commensurate force to get our mandate achieved,” he wrote.
