Activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has declined the Nigerian police’s bail conditions and opted to stay in custody.
Sowore was reportedly asked to submit his passport and provide a Grade Level 17 officer, equivalent to a permanent secretary, as a surety.
He arrived at the police headquarters in Abuja on Monday morning following an invitation for questioning regarding a viral video he posted, which alleged extortion by officers at a Lagos checkpoint.
Our correspondent noted that the road leading to the front of the Louis Edet House, where the Force headquarters is located, was barricaded at both ends.
Sowore was summoned to address various allegations, including resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking, and actions allegedly intended to prevent arrests.
He later posted on his X handle that he had been granted administrative bail but would reject it if the conditions were “unreasonable.”
“The DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi, at the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja has just informed me that he has instructed his personnel to grant me bail, pending the conclusion of the investigation.
“…If such unreasonable conditions are imposed, I will choose to remain in detention until I am charged to court, even then I know that there is no crime defined or to be investigated; it is just the impunity that has become the hallmark of the PoliceNG hierarchy,” he wrote.
In a follow-up tweet, Sowore confirmed that he had rejected the bail conditions and opted to stay in custody until his arraignment.
“The Nigeria Police Force has requested that I deposit my International Passport and provide a Level 17 civil servant as a guarantor for bail, but I have declined these conditions and opted to remain in police custody #RevolutionNow,” he stated.
On Monday, Sowore arrived at the Force Intelligence Department near the Force Headquarters at about 9:56 AM, accompanied by his lawyers and some protesters.
The police had previously invited the activist through a letter from the Force Intelligence Department, which stated, “This office is investigating cases of resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful order, acts intended to cause grievous harm or prevent arrest, compelling action by intimidation, reckless & negligent acts, refusal to assist public servants, and cyberstalking in which your name featured prominently.”
The letter requested him to report for an interview with the Deputy Inspector General of Police at the Force Intelligence Department on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 10 AM.
In response to the summons, a group loyal to Sowore, the Take It Back Movement, circulated a flier on social media, calling for a protest against police extortion at the Force Headquarters. The flier, which gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), featured images of Sowore and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, with bold red text reading, “Occupy Force Headquarters.”
Meanwhile, members of the Take It Back Movement were gathered outside the FID premises awaiting Sowore’s release.