Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore was on Friday rearrested outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja — shortly after the court granted him and 12 others bail.

The development occurred minutes after Magistrate Abubakar Sai’id of the Kuje Chief Magistrate Court approved bail for Sowore and other defendants who were charged with unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace following Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.

Speaking on the development, Tope Temokun, the counsel to Sowore, claimed that the police officers “descended violently upon” the activist in a bid to “abduct” him.

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Temokun said the police have no legal justification to take Sowore to an “unknown destination”.

The lawyer said:“After the court had freely and honorably granted bail to human rights defender Omoyele Sowore on liberal terms, a detachment of police officers, led by CSP Iliyasu, OC Anti Vice, State Command CID, invaded the court premises in a display of raw impunity and disdain for the rule of law.

“They descended violently upon Omoyele Sowore and those present and, in the full glare of the public, abducted Sowore and whisked him away.

“In the course of standing up against this brazen illegality, I and others were physically assaulted; I sustained injuries and my bib was blood-stained in the chaos that ensued.

“The officers, in a most unruly and undisciplined manner, rough-handled Sowore away and whisked him away. Let it be known that Sowore was not taken to prison.”

Sowore and the other defendants, including Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and Emmanuel Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, were each granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000.

The court directed all defendants to submit their passports, present a verified National Identification Number (NIN), and provide a three-year tax clearance certificate as part of their bail conditions.

As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the rearrest.