Sowore alleges abuse of power, harsh bail conditions in Nigerian prisons

Abdullateef Fowewe

Activist and AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore has drawn attention to what he describes as systemic abuse of power within Nigeria’s criminal justice system, citing personal experiences and cases encountered during his time in Kuje Prison.

In a post shared via X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Sowore recounted meeting several individuals detained under what he called “impossible” bail conditions, despite court approvals.

“When I was in Kuje Prison, I met Haruna Garba Gololo, who was sent there by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. He had been granted bail for nearly three weeks but was still unable to meet the bail conditions,” Sowore wrote.

He also referenced the case of David Nwokorie, who was arrested following a personal dispute and spent nearly four months in prison.

According to Sowore, even after being granted bail by Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Nwokorie faced stringent requirements, “he was required to present a Level 16 officer and a colonel in the Nigerian Army as sureties. These are almost impossible bail conditions.”

The activist further criticised Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, noting the irony in the minister’s public comments on prison overcrowding while allegedly being involved in a similar case.

Sowore stated that Tunji-Ojo “dragged a critic, Emorioloye Owolemi, before the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, over alleged cyberstalking, and the man languished in prison for months.”

Sowore, who said he himself “was sent to prison by Tinubu,” pointed to broader statistics from Kuje Prison, “There are 817 awaiting-trial inmates in Kuje out of a total prison population of 1,115, with 47 of them diagnosed with tuberculosis.”