Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has expressed deep pain and guilt after regaining freedom from Kuje Prison, where he was remanded alongside others arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
Sowore, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the African Action Congress (AAC), was released on Monday after meeting the ₦500,000 bail set by a Magistrate’s Court in Abuja.
He was arrested last week alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 other protesters, who were charged with unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id had granted them bail on Friday, directing each defendant to provide a verified National Identification Number (NIN), three-year tax clearance, and deposit their international passports as part of the bail conditions.
Following his release, Sowore took to 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) to reflect on the injustice faced by many inmates who remain behind bars for no just cause.
“There’s nothing more painful than seeing innocent people left behind in prison. When I was being released today, I FELT GUILT because I left behind children or adults whose only ‘crime’ is being poor or voiceless while the powerful walk free. It’s a brutal reminder that justice in Nigeria is often broken and sold,” he wrote.
Sowore emphasized that every wrongful imprisonment robs individuals of time, hope, and dignity, urging Nigerians never to give up the fight for justice and equity.
