Omoyele Sowore Detained Indefinitely After Rejecting ‘Illegal’ Bail Conditions By Nigerian Police

Abuja, Nigeria– Nigerian Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has revealed that he will remain in police custody indefinitely after rejecting what he described as “ridiculous and illegal” bail conditions imposed by the Nigeria Police Force.

Sowore was detained after honoring an invitation by the police over his exposé on officers allegedly extorting motorists in Ikeja, Lagos State.

However, the bail conditions set by the authorities described outrage, with Sowore and his legal team rejecting them outright.

Among the conditions are the requirement to produce a level 16 civil servant as a surety and the surrender of his international passport.

Sowore, in a post shared on his X handle on Monday, wrote:

“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.”

Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has supported his client’s stance, referencing a Court of Appeal judgment in Dasuki v. Director-General, which declared such bail conditions unlawful.

Falana noted that the police’s actions were a direct violation of legal precedents and Sowore’s constitutional rights.

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

“Below is also the response of my lawyer, Femi Falana SAN to the ridiculous request of the Nigeria Police,” Sowore said.

According to Falana, “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,” Falana added.