By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA — Former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore was whisked away by armed police officers yesterday from the precincts of the Federal High Court in Abuja, shortly after he appeared in connection with the ongoing trial of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, a frontline agitator for Kanu’s release, was accosted by security operatives who insisted he must follow them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command. When questioned about his offense, one of the officers stated that they were executing an order from the Commissioner of Police.
Sowore queried the absence of a formal letter of invitation but was eventually taken away in a police van, demanding that his lawyer must accompany him.
The incident follows a major #FreeNnamdiKanu protest organized by Sowore and others in Abuja last Monday. The protest led to the arrest of 12 persons, including Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and one of his lawyers, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor.
The police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) before a Chief Magistrate Court at Kuje, alleging that the 12 defendants engaged in criminal conspiracy, incited disturbance, and disturbed public peace. The police accused the protesters of disobeying a court order, chanting war songs, and disrupting traffic while demanding Kanu’s release, which they claimed “threatens National Security.”
The charge against the 12 individuals is punishable under sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law. The court has fixed Friday to take the plea of the defendants. It remains unclear whether the charges will be amended to include Sowore as a defendant following his latest arrest.