NIGERIA: Court Remands Sowore In Kuje Prison After Revoking Bail

By Onoja Baba

Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja following the revocation of his bail by the Federal High Court.

Justice Mohammed Umar ordered Sowore’s remand on Monday after dismissing an application seeking his recusal from the trial.

The judge adjourned further proceedings until Wednesday.

Sowore is facing charges filed by the Department of State Services over remarks in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal. He has consistently denied the allegations.

During Monday’s proceedings, Sowore represented himself after members of his legal team withdrew from the case. According to the activist, his lawyers declined to continue appearing before Justice Umar, citing what they described as persistent hostility and unfair treatment during the trial.

In a statement shared on his X account after the court session, Sowore said he personally filed a fresh application asking the judge to step down from the case after previous efforts to have the matter reassigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court were unsuccessful.

He maintained that his lawyers withdrew because they feared they could no longer receive a fair hearing before the court, adding that he would continue to defend himself if the judge refused to recuse himself from the matter.

Outside the court, dozens of Sowore’s supporters staged a protest, demanding the restoration of his bail and calling for Justice Umar to step aside from the case. The protesters described the bail revocation as politically motivated and chanted for the activist’s immediate release.

Justice Umar had revoked Sowore’s bail on June 16 after ruling that he failed to appear before the court. Sowore, however, had written to the court a day earlier requesting a new hearing date to enable him secure new legal representation.