Court grants Sowore bail

The magistrate, Mabel Segun-Bello, imposed a N20 million bond on Mr Sowore, and demanded he produce two sureties.

 

A magistrate court in Abuja on Monday granted the activist and founder of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, bail.

 

The magistrate, Mabel Segun-Bello, imposed a N20 million bond on Mr Sowore, and demanded he produce two sureties.

 

Ms Segun-Bello, in her ruling, said the court granted Mr Sowore and his co-accused bail because they did not fall short of the conditions of their detention. She added that the bail was given to fulfill their fundamental rights to liberty.

 

However, she added that the defendant needed to be kept under close watch to ensure that public peace is maintained.

 

Mr Sowore and others were arrested on December 31, 2020 by authorities and charged with unlawful assembly, incitement, disturbance and criminal conspiracy.

 

While filing bail application, the lead defense lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, prayed the court to grant the application based on the most liberal terms. Mr Sowore’s bail hearing suffered a set back on Friday because neither the defendant or counsel were present in court.

 

According to Mr Abubakar, the defendants was initially refused bail because the police could not provide them in court. Mr. Abubakar said the Police claimed to have handed the case file to a Deputy Inspector General of Police for further prosecution.

 

He stated that the DIG who was charged with the responsibility of producing the defendants claimed to have given the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution on the instruction of the Attorney General of the Federation.