Court Varies Sowore Bail Terms, Waived N50m Security Deposit

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday varied the terms of the bail she earlier granted to the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare.

Justice Ojukwu had on October 4, 2019 admitted the two activists to bail on certain conditions, which they considered stringent and difficult meet, prompting them to apply to the court for variation.

The court specifically waived the earlier requirement that one of Sowore’s sureties deposits N50 million as security.

she also reduced the amount attached to Bakare’s bail from N50 million to N20 million.

Justice Ojukwu said all other conditions should remain. She said the decision to restrain the defendants from participating in rallies was in order in view of the nature of the case.

Read Also: Court Grants Sowore N100m Bail, Restrict him to Abuja

She adjourned till November 6 for the commencement of trial in the case, in which Sowore and Bakare are charged with among others, treasonable felony.

The judge in a ruling on October 4, 2019 granted Sowore bail at N100million and two sureties in the same amount, and barred him from travelling out of Abuja.

Read Also: Sowore, associate fail to meet bail conditions
Justice Ojukwu ordered one of Sowore’s surety to deposit N50m in the account of the court as security.

She granted Bakare bail at N50m with a surety in the same amount and barred him from travelling out of his base in Osogbo, except while coming for the trial in Abuja.

Justice Ojukwu further held that the sureties, who must be resident in Abuja, must also have landed assets worth the bail sum in Abuja, and should deposit the original title documents of the assets with the court.

Justice Ojukwu directed that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) pending when they are able to meet the bail conditions.