The Gombe State Coordinator of the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, Thomas Umar, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Gombe after nearly a month in detention over Facebook posts he made in 2020.
Umar was arrested and subsequently remanded at the Gombe Correctional Centre following a lawsuit filed against him by the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa.
The TIB Movement had earlier called for his immediate release, condemning it as politically motivated persecution and abuse of judicial processes.
The arrest stemmed from social media posts Umar made five years ago, in which he criticized the lawmaker.
Although he was initially granted police bail after his arrest, the matter was reportedly revived under a new Commissioner of Police without informing Umar or his legal team, prompting concerns about due process and transparency.
The court had scheduled the hearing for April 10, but the prosecution requested additional time to respond to the defence’s bail application.
The court granted the request and adjourned the matter until May 6. Delays due to the court’s Easter vacation further extended Umar’s detention.
Despite appeals from his legal team to allow him to remain in police custody, the court ordered that he be remanded in the Gombe Correctional Centre pending the bail hearing. The bail application was finally heard and granted on May 7.
The Movement has also condemned an attack that occurred within the court premises during the proceedings. A known supporter of Ali Isa, identified as Bashir Lawan, reportedly assaulted one of Umar’s allies, Bayo Mark, by pouring an unidentified substance on his face. The attacker has since been taken into police custody.
The TIB Movement described Umar’s ordeal as part of a broader pattern of harassment against vocal critics of political elites.
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