Okay News reports that a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others, following their arraignment over the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held on October 20 in Abuja.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Ibrahim Mohammed, granted each of the thirteen defendants bail in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The defendants had been arrested and charged with inciting public disturbance and breach of peace. According to court filings, the charges stemmed from the protest calling for the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
While Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others were arrested during the protest and remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Sowore was apprehended three days later — on October 23 — at the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He was reportedly at the court to show solidarity during Kanu’s ongoing terrorism trial.
The protest, held in Abuja’s city centre, had drawn attention from both local and international observers, as demonstrators demanded adherence to human rights and compliance with court orders regarding Kanu’s case.
Following their arraignment, the magistrate ordered the defendants’ release upon fulfillment of the bail conditions and adjourned the matter for further hearing.
Lawyers representing the accused expressed relief over the bail decision, insisting that their clients had committed no offence but merely exercised their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
Ejimakor, speaking briefly to journalists outside the courtroom, said: “What we did was to peacefully demand justice. We will continue to insist that the law should be respected in Nnamdi Kanu’s case.”
The case is expected to continue next month as the court awaits submissions from the prosecution.
