The brutal re-arrest of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, outside the Kuje Magistrate Court in Abuja on October 24, 2025, has ignited widespread outrage among numerous civil society organisations. This incident occurred shortly after the court granted Sowore bail, following his initial arrest for leading the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest. Police officers, reportedly led by CSP Ilyasu Barau, were seen punching and forcefully dragging Sowore into a waiting vehicle, an act that has been condemned as unlawful, undemocratic, and a blatant violation of his constitutional rights.

Several groups have issued strong condemnations, highlighting the alleged disregard for judicial processes and fundamental human rights. The Socialist Workers League (SWL) described the re-arrest as not merely a violation of Sowore's fundamental human rights, but a continuation of the Nigerian state’s repressive attacks against the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protests. They asserted that the brutalisation of Sowore underscores the state’s disregard for the rights and liberties of the Nigerian people, viewing it as a tactic by the current regime to silence dissenting voices ahead of the 2027 general election. The SWL vowed to resist such actions, declaring that they would not be intimidated and would turn every public space into a theatre of resistance, calling for a 'revolution of conscience and courage'.

The Advocates for Justice and Human Rights (AJHR) labeled Sowore's re-arrest as a 'shameful display of judicial rascality and gross abuse of human rights,' accusing the Nigeria Police of insulting the very foundation of democracy and the rule of law. They questioned the legality of the police action, noting the absence of any publicly presented valid court order to justify the re-arrest and demanded an unreserved public apology from the Nigeria Police Force for the alleged manhandling of Sowore. According to AJHR, suppressing dissenting voices like Sowore’s, who represents the conscience of a people longing for justice, freedom, and accountability, is a sign of weakness, not strength.

Similarly, the Centre for Change expressed surprise and outrage over the police’s decision to usurp the constitutional responsibility of the Nigeria Correctional Service, stating that it is the Correctional Service that should take custody of a defendant failing to perfect bail conditions, not the police. The group stressed that the Nigerian Constitution, alongside international charters like the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, guarantees rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, asserting that democratic governance in Nigeria was birthed through significant sacrifices, whose blood continues to seek justice, deepening democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. They called on the federal government to adhere to the rule of law and court decisions by releasing Sowore and other arrested protesters.

The Take It Back Movement (TIB), a pro-democracy organisation, also strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a direct affront to the independence of the judiciary, the sanctity of court orders, and the constitutional rights of every Nigerian. Witnesses reported that lawyers attempting to intervene were also attacked, and officers refused to produce a remand order, claiming a 'secret order'. The TIB warned that if their demands are not met within a reasonable time, they would convene peaceful nationwide vigils and demonstrations, vowing to pursue every lawful avenue to ensure accountability and restore the rule of law.

In response to the outcry, the Nigeria Police Force, through its spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, defended Sowore's re-arrest, claiming that a court-granted bail does not automatically entitle a suspect to immediate freedom. Hundeyin asserted that police are 'enforcement officers' empowered to use commensurate force to achieve their mandate, and it is their responsibility to hand over a suspect to the Nigeria Correctional Service if a remand warrant specifies a correctional facility. This justification, however, has been met with skepticism and further criticism.

The incident has sparked widespread concerns about the growing impunity of state agents and the erosion of democratic values in Nigeria. Civil society organisations have put forth several demands, including the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and other #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters; the immediate removal of CSP Ilyasu Barau and all officers involved in the assault; independent investigations by the Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and credible civil society observers, into the repressive attacks and the alleged remand order; prosecution and disciplinary action against all culpable officers; protection for lawyers, journalists, and court users; immediate public disclosure of any orders used to justify the detention; medical attention and reparations for Sowore and others assaulted; and an end to the illegal and politically-motivated detention of Nnamdi Kanu.