Abuja, Nigeria — October 25 2025
Allegations have emerged that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) colluded with a magistrate at the Kuje Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory to secure the detention of prominent activist Omoyele Sowore, in spite of a court-granting bail. The accusations, published by Sahara Reporters, challenge the integrity of the legal process and raise questions about respect for judicial decisions.
According to the report, police officers deployed several armoured vehicles and a large security contingent to the court premises when Sowore was brought for hearing. The magistrate, identified as Justice Abubakar Umar Sai’id, reportedly commenced the proceedings and initially granted bail to Sowore and 13 others.
However, after the bail conditions had been outlined, the report alleges that police operatives entered the magistrate’s chambers, barred others from accessing the judge, and threatened the magistrate under direction that the Inspector-General of Police was “personally interested” in keeping Sowore in custody. The judge is said to have been forced to sign a remand warrant and subsequently driven from the court premises, at which point the police proceeded to forcibly escort Sowore into a police van despite the bail having been granted.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos: lawyers and bystanders were confronted, a food vendor was assaulted, and phones were confiscated from supporters of Sowore who attempted to document the incident. The police spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the force’s actions, stating that a court granting bail does not guarantee immediate release and that the NPF is empowered to exercise “commensurate force” in carrying out its mandate.