Nigerian activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore has vowed to reject his bail conditions even if President Bola Tinubu volunteers to be his bail surety.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), is currently in police custody after he was invited for questioning over allegations of cyberstalking, negligent acts, and intimidation.
The police Invitation was about a viral video wherein Sowore confronted officers who had stopped his vehicle at a checkpoint in Lagos.
However, he rejected the bail conditions set by the police, which required him to deposit his international passport and present a level 17 civil servant as a surety.
Speaking to newsmen, Sowore vowed not to participate in what he called “illegality”.
The human rights activist said the conditions were “laughable, frivolous, and ridiculous,” adding that the police have no right to grant administrative bail.
According to him, “I cannot in good conscience continue to participate in illegality because I have made it very clear that the police have no right to grant administrative bail that asks for civil servants to own, first and foremost, N100 million houses, which is a crime; that’s a corruption to stand bail for me, who is an employer of labour.
“I’m a publisher of an internationally renowned news website. I have people who I hired in Nigeria and abroad. I’m not a civil servant. In fact, I’m an uncivil citizen who is against all kinds of corruption
“I have spent my entire life fighting against corruption. So, to now ask me, to insult me that I should provide a level 17 director, who had not gotten employment when I was fighting for democracy in 1992.
“To now ask the person to come and stand surety for me is a biggest insult. Even if President Bola Tinubu had appeared as my surety, I would have rejected that very laughable, frivolous, ridiculous, and I dare say stupid bail condition.
“If the court in its own wisdom decides that they want my passport in their coffers, which is a very special passport, that’s a different issue.
“But we must continue to reject the impunity of the Nigeria police and officers who will just invite you and then ask you to deposit your passport.
“I should go and bring a level 17 civil servant; even by the civil service rules, there is no level 17 officer because a level 17 in civil service is a permanent secretary who is politically appointed by the president.
“So, you expect such a person to come and stand surety for Sowore. I’m not being arrogant, and I’m not bragging. In 1992, when I was a student leader, Tinubu was a senator, and I was more powerful than him in Nigerian society.
“So, how dare them ask me, and I can guarantee you that at that time, Egbetokun probably had just joined the police, and he was a sergeant. That’s if he has not forged his age.”
