Drama as Sowore to remain in Police custody after rejecting bail condition

Drama as Sowore to remain in Police custody after rejecting bail condition

Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, is currently in police custody after refusing to accept the bail conditions granted to him following his interrogation by security officials on Monday.

Sowore, who took to his verified Facebook page to announce the development, stated that the Nigerian Police Force was holding him “until further notice” because he rejected what he called “illegal bail conditions.”

According to Sowore’s post, the police detained him at the Abattoir Police Station in Guzape, Abuja, after he was questioned by authorities at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) complex.

The activist refused to comply with the conditions set for his release, which included presenting a level 17 civil servant as a surety and surrendering his passport to the police. Sowore called these terms “illegal” and insisted on not accepting them.

He shared his defiance on social media, saying: “It is a wrap! The Nigeria Police Force is holding me in custody until further notice, following my refusal to accept their illegal bail condition.”

Earlier in the day, Sowore had been granted bail following his interrogation by the police.

However, the controversial conditions attached to his release led to his continued detention, fueling concerns about the legality of the process.

Sowore’s detention is the latest chapter in his long history of activism and public clashes with Nigerian authorities.

His supporters and human rights groups are closely monitoring the situation, which they view as another example of the government’s stance toward dissent.

Sowore, on his Facebook page, said: “The interview revolved around Sowore’s comments on police officers in Lagos, who were operating an unauthorised checkpoint to extort motorists, thereby causing significant traffic congestion at the busy international airport road.

“Sowore admonished the officers, pointing out that their actions were causing traffic and urging them to cease their illegal activities. When instructed to park, seemingly to facilitate extortion, Sowore refused, requesting to speak with their supervisor, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos.

“The police subsequently asked Sowore to leave. The incident was captured on camera, and Sowore uploaded the footage to his Facebook page and other social media handles. During today’s interview, the two police officers were unable to provide a basic response to Sowore’s initial question, which asked them to identify the location of the alleged crime in Lagos.

“Further questioning was suspended, and Sowore was asked to prepare a written defense. However, Sowore chose not to provide a written statement and instead requested that his statement be electronically recorded and transcribed for his verification.

“The police team conducting the interviews temporarily left and returned with their supervisor, Mr. Galandanchi, who stated that Sowore’s bail had been approved and that the conditions would be communicated by the interviewing officers. Sowore notified Galandanchi that he would not accept bail under conditions that jeopardized his innocence, integrity, and fundamental rights.

“As anticipated, the police officers returned with typewritten conditions that stipulated Sowore surrender his international passport and provide a senior civil servant employed by the federal government at level 17; Sowore promptly declined these conditions and informed the police officers.

“Several hours later, the police officers returned and stated that Mr. Galandanchi had reviewed the bail conditions, revising the requirement to a level 16 officer in the civil service, and asserted that Sowore’s lawyer, the prominent Nigerian human rights attorney Femi Falana SAN, had negotiated with them.

“However, Mr. Falana shared a note he sent to Galandanchi, reminding him that courts have consistently ruled that requiring civil servants to serve as guarantors in police bail processes is unlawful.

“At the end of the interrogation, Mr. Sowore was taken to a police detention center, specifically the “Abattoir” unit. The PoliceNG team assigned to my case has informed me that the DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi, has reevaluated my bail conditions, necessitating the production of a level 16 civil servant and the surrender of my international passport, a condition I have declined outright.

“I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity.”