A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has been detained by the police after rejecting the bail conditions imposed on him at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja.
Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters, made this known via a post on his X account on Monday, January 27, 2025.
This followed his summon by the police over a viral video he posted on social media showing police officers allegedly extorting Nigerians on the highway in Lagos State.
Sowore said the police were holding him in custody until further notice, following his “refusal to accept their illegal bail condition”.
He had earlier said the bail conditions by the police “compromise his innocence, dignity, and integrity”.
He is being detained at the Abattoir police station in the Guzape area of Abuja, which was formerly used by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He arrived at the Force headquarters in Abuja on Monday to answer questions on his allegations of extortion against officers at a checkpoint in Lagos.
He was also accused of resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking and actions allegedly intended to prevent arrests.
Sowore stated: “ The police 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.
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“Below is also the response of my lawyer, Femi Falana SAN to the ridiculous request of the Nigeria Police.
“Dear Hon DIG,
“Thanks for reducing the bail condition of Mr. Omoyele Sowore to a surety of level 16.
“However, I wish to point out that such bail condition has been declared illegal by the Court of Appeal in the case of Dasuki V. Director-General, S.S.S. [2020]10 NWLR PT.1731 PG. 136-143 where Adah JCA (now JSC) held as follows:
“Let me quickly say that of concern it is to us that as a court we must be ready and sensitive enough not to allow or do anything that will run foul of the law. The issue of involving civil servants or Public Officers in the Public Service of the Federation and the State in bail of people accused of criminal offences has never been the practice in Nigeria or any part of the civilized world. It was an oversight on our part to allow it in. Our Civil and Public Service Rules do not have any room for it. Expecting a Level 16 Servant to own property worth N100,000,000, will be running counter to the Public Service Rules and by extension the war against corruption.
“It is in this respect that I will act ex debito justitiae to ensure that the aspect of involving serving Public Servant below the status of Level 16 Officer in either the state or Public Service of the Federation or any of its agencies be removed and I so order.”
Sowore, in another post, said: “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.”
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