Nigeria's state security agency on Tuesday freed a prominent journalist and opposition activist who had been held since August despite court orders demanding his release. Omoyele Sowore - a publisher of online news site Sahara Reporters - still faces trial for treason and other crimes but was freed on bail under orders from the attorney general.

"Merry Christmas. I can't talk to the media now. I will arrange for that later," said Sowore, who was briefly freed on December 5 before being rearrested the following day.

His rearrest caused an outcry among local and international activists, who accuse the government of swerving towards authoritarianism as the number of people in illegal detention rises.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019