A MagistSoworerate Court in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, Aloy Ejimakor—one of the lawyers representing detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu—Kanu’s brother Emmanuel Kanu, and 10 others. Each defendant was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The 13 were arrested over allegations of inciting public disturbance and breach of peace during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held in Abuja on October 20, 2025.
Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and several others were arrested during the protest and detained at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while Sowore was arrested days later—on October 23—at the Federal High Court premises, where he had gone to show solidarity with Kanu during his trial.
Those granted bail include: Omoyele Sowore, Aloy Ejimakor, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, Joshua Emmanuel, Bishop Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, and Godswill Obiama.
The police accused the defendants of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, disobedience of public order, and disturbance of public peace, claiming that they disrupted traffic and chanted war songs that threatened public safety.
At the hearing, the prosecution sought to replace an earlier First Information Report (FIR) dated October 21 with an updated one from October 23 to include Sowore’s name. The court approved the request, and the charges were read out. All 13 defendants pleaded not guilty, insisting the accusations were false.
Defence counsel, P. A. N. Ejoiofor, applied for bail, citing that some defendants were respected professionals and public figures. He emphasized that Sowore was a former presidential candidate and others, including Ejimakor and Bishop Anyalewechi, were seasoned legal practitioners.
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The prosecution opposed the bail request, but the Magistrate ruled that the counter-affidavit filed by the police was invalid because it carried the wrong case number.
In his ruling, the Magistrate said:
“There is no valid counter-affidavit before this court. I cannot rely on a document filed under another case to decide this one.”
He then granted bail to all 13 defendants with two sureties each, who must provide proof of three years’ tax clearance and a valid means of identification.
The case was adjourned to December 15, 2025, for hearing.
