By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA — A Magistrate’s Court in Kuje, Abuja, yesterday granted bail to activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, human rights lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, Nnamdi Kanu’s brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 10 others who were arrested in connection with the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
All 13 defendants were admitted to bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with two sureties in like sum.
The defendants were arraigned before the court on an amended 13-count First Information Report (FIR) that includes charges of criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, unlawful assembly, and disobedience of a lawful order, all contrary to sections of the Penal Code Law.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, insisted the allegations were false. The charges accused the group of obstructing traffic and chanting “war songs” while demanding Kanu’s release, in a manner allegedly threatening national security. Sowore was specifically noted in the charge for having “fled upon sighting security agents” before his later arrest at the Federal High Court premises on October 23.
At the resumed sitting, the court granted the prosecution’s application to withdraw the initial FIR and replace it with an amended one dated October 23, 2025, which included Sowore.
Defense counsel, P. A. N. Ejoiofor, argued for bail, pointing out that several defendants, including Sowore, Ejimakor, and Kanu’s brother, are well-known public figures and legal practitioners.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, but the Magistrate ruled in favor of the defense, citing a critical technical error. The Magistrate agreed with the defense’s objection that the prosecution’s counter-affidavit was filed under a different, incorrect suit number (CR/252/2025 instead of the correct CR/253/2025).
The Magistrate held, “There is no counter-affidavit before this court. I cannot rely on a document filed in another case to decide this one.”