Convener of #RevolutionNow protest

FG To Re-Arraign Sowore On Fresh Charges

13Feb

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

FG To Re-Arraign Sowore On Fresh Charges

The convener of #RevolutionNow Protest, Omoyele Sowore will be re-arraigned on fresh charges by the Federal Government. This was after Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu adjourned the case following the resumption of Sowore’s trial on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The prosecutor; Kayode Alilu informed the court that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has taken over the prosecution of the case and has filed fresh and amended charges. Alilu added that they are yet to effect service of the amended charges on the defendants. He also said the office of the AGF took over the case late last year and applied to arraign the defendants based on the amended charges. Justice Ojukwu then ordered the prosecution to pay a sum of N200, 000 as the cost to the defenda...

Sowore: AGF Malami Orders DSS To Hands-Off Trial, Takes Over Case-file

13Dec

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Sowore: AGF Malami Orders DSS To Hands-Off Trial, Takes Over Case-file

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has ordered the Department of State Service, DSS, to hands-off the prosecution of detained pro-democracy activist and convener of RevolutionNow Protest, Omoyele Sowore. The AGF, in a statement that was made available to newsmen by his media aide, Dr Umar Gwandu, on Friday, said he directed the security agency to forward the case file in respect of charge pending against Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja, to his office. Malami further directed the Federal Ministry of Justice to immediately take over the prosecution of all charges against Sowore, in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He said the Federal Government was...

Sowore: APC Attacks Atiku, PDP For Condemning Buhari, DSS

9Dec

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Sowore: APC Attacks Atiku, PDP For Condemning Buhari, DSS

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday rebuked the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for condemning the Buhari government and the Department of State Services (DSS) over last Friday’s court invasion. Recall that DSS operatives on Friday re-arrested Omoyele Sowore, convener of RevolutionNow campaign, a situation that has generated local and international criticisms. In a statement Sunday night, Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, said Atiku and the PDP chose to present and spread concocted alternative facts and lies on the incident. It said the presidency has clarified that the DSS does not necessarily need the president’s permission in all cases to carry out its essential and constitutional responsibilities.“Wh...

“No Matter Whose Side You Are On, Sowore’s Rearrest Cannot Be Right” – Akin Alabi

7Dec

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

“No Matter Whose Side You Are On, Sowore’s Rearrest Cannot Be Right” – Akin Alabi

Businessman-cum-Politician Akin Alabi has reacted to to the rearrest of the convener of RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore by the Department of State Services (DSS). The DSS will have to explain why Sowore was rearrested. And the reason has to be HUGE. We just debated on the floor yesterday about separation of powers but this is a desecration of the judiciary. No matter whose side you are on, this cannot be right in anyway.

DSS Has Given 3 Contradictory Reasons For Not Releasing Sowore – Falana

17Nov

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

DSS Has Given 3 Contradictory Reasons For Not Releasing Sowore – Falana

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says in the last one week, the Department of State Services (DSS) has given three reasons not to release Omoyele Sowore, convener of RevolutionNow Movement. Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3 and later flown to Abuja where he has been in detention despite two court orders on his release. The DSS has come under intense pressure over the detention of Sowore and other notable Nigerians. On Friday, Peter Afunanya, spokesman of the DSS, said Sowore chose to remain in custody of the agency because he is being taken care of. He said the activist could have been remanded in prison but he appealed to the court to allow him stay in the DSS facility. But Falana described Afunanya’s statement as an embarrassment to the country. “Within a sp...

Release Sowore, Bakare And Stop Exposing Nigeria To Ridicule – Falana To DSS

14Nov

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Release Sowore, Bakare And Stop Exposing Nigeria To Ridicule – Falana To DSS

Human rights lawyer , Mr . Femi Falana ( SAN) , on Wednesday , charged the Department of State Services to immediately release the convener of #RevolutionNow protest , Mr . Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare. He asked the agency to stop exposing Nigeria to ridicule with its ever-changing excuses for continuing to hold on to them in violation of the Federal High Court ’s order for their release. Falana was replying the DSS’ latest statement issued by its spokesperson, Peter Ifunaya , on Wednesday , when the agency blamed the continued detention of the Sahara Reporters publisher and Bakare on the failure of their sureties to show up to receive them from custody . The senior lawyer narrated the steps that his legal team had taken to ensure the release of their clients since a bailiff first...

Sowore: DSS Claims They Wanted To Release Him But No One Came To Receive Him

9Nov

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Sowore: DSS Claims They Wanted To Release Him But No One Came To Receive Him

The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed receiving the court order on the release of Omoyele Sowore, convener of the Revolution Now movement. Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3 and later flown to Abuja where he is being detained. A federal high court in Abuja had granted him bail but after fulfilling the conditions of the bail, the secret police did not allow him leave its custody. This sparked a nationwide outrage, with Femi Falana, his lawyer, threatening to sue the DSS. In a statement on Friday, Peter Afunanya, spokesman of the DSS, said while the agency has received the order, no one has visited the DSS to take delivery of the activist. “The DSS wishes to confirm that it has received the court order for the release of Omoyele Sowore,” the statement ...

Sowore And Olawale Bakare Fail To Meet Bail Conditions

12Oct

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Sowore And Olawale Bakare Fail To Meet Bail Conditions

The convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, and co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, charged with treasonable felony, among others, are yet to perfect the bail granted them on October 4, 2019 by a Federal High Court in Abuja. It was learnt on Friday that both men were still in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) where they are being held. Sowore and Bakare were granted bail by in a ruling penultimate Friday by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, but attached conditions which his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), described as stringent. The Nation learnt that their lawyers were planning to return to court with an application to request for a reduction in the bail conditions to those which the defendants could readily meet. Justice Ojukwu had, while granting them bail, also ...

Oby Ezekwesili Reacts To Omoyele Sowore’s New Bail Conditions

4Oct

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Oby Ezekwesili Reacts To Omoyele Sowore’s New Bail Conditions

Former minister of education, Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed concern over the new bail conditions granted the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore. Mr Sowore was on Friday granted N100 million bail by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Ojukwu also ruled that Sowore is to produce two sureties in like sum and deposit the sum of N50 million in the account of the court as security. The sureties, she said, must be resident in Abuja, and also have landed property in Abuja worth the bail sum, and they are to deposit the original title documents of the assets with the court. She also barred Sowore from travelling out of Abuja and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, from leaving Osogbo during the trial. In a tweet on Friday, Mrs Ezekwesili ...

FG To Drag Judge Before NJC For Granting Sowore Bail

28Sep

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

FG To Drag Judge Before NJC For Granting Sowore Bail

There were indications last night that the federal government was contemplating reporting Justice Taiwo Taiwo, to the National Judicial Council (NJC) on account of his decision to grant bail to the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore. Justice Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja admitted Sowore to bail on Tuesday and dismissed the objection raised by the Department of State Security (DSS) to the bail. The Nation gathered last night that a shocked Nigerian security and intelligence community met on the matter yesterday and resolved to appeal the judgement. It also decided to petition the NJC on the issue. A top government source, who spoke to The Nation, on the condition of anonymity, said that anyone standing trial for treasonable felony is not entitled...

“How I Found Out I Had Been Granted Bail” – Sowore Speaks

25Sep

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

“How I Found Out I Had Been Granted Bail” – Sowore Speaks

Sowore was granted bail by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on the condition that he deposits his international passport with the court and that he is produced whenever needed by his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). Details have emerged as to how pro-democracy campaigner and Convener of RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, found out that he had been granted bail on Tuesday by the Federal High Court in Abuja. Sowore was granted bail by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on the condition that he deposits his international passport with the court and that he is produced whenever needed by his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). Speaking with Sahara Reporters at the facility of the Department of State Services where he is being held in Abuja, Sowore said, "On Tuesday morning, I was asked to dress up by men of the DSS in...

Sowore’s Release A Victory For The Rule Of Law – SERAP

24Sep

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Politics

Sowore’s Release A Victory For The Rule Of Law – SERAP

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed decision by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the immediate release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, from the custody of the Department of State Service as “a victory for the rule of law, human rights and judicial independence.” In a statement, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “It's a huge relief that Sowore will be freed and can finally return to his family and journalism work. He should never have been detained in the first place. The Nigerian authorities should now withdraw all the charges against him and allow freedom of expression and media freedom to flourish. It’s good for everyone.” SERAP said: “The Nigerian authorities now have t...

How I Was Maltreated In DSS Detention — Sowore

24Sep

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

How I Was Maltreated In DSS Detention — Sowore

The co-convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, who has been in the detention of the Department of State Services since August 3, 2019, has accused the DSS of maltreating him. “I was abducted in the middle of the night. I was taken to one of your facilities in Lagos. I was beaten up, rough-handled on my way to the facility in the car. And my cousin, who was in the room with me, was also beaten and handcuffed, and my properties were forcefully seized. And when I got there, of course, the maltreatment continued, they threw me on a cold floor and locked the door. “I had no contact with even the guards for two nights; I was in that facility before I was flown here by your agents. So, I was seriously maltreated,” Sowore reportedly said during an interrogation session by DSS...

DSS To Arraign Sowore In Court On Tuesday

23Sep

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

DSS To Arraign Sowore In Court On Tuesday

The federal government will on Tuesday, Sept. 24, formally arraign Omoyele Sowore, convener of the RevolutionNow movement. According to SaharaReporters, Sowore will be arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. Igbere TV had reported that the Department of State Services on Friday slammed seven-count charge on the former presidential candidate. The charges borders on alleged conspiracy to commit treason, cyberstalking President Buhari, and also insulting him in a television interview. Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for planning a series of protests against “bad governance” in Nigeria. Despite several calls for his release, the DSS secured an initial 45 days court order to hold him in their custody.

Charges Against Sowore A Mockery Of Justice, End The Case Now – SERAP

22Sep

By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Charges Against Sowore A Mockery Of Justice, End The Case Now – SERAP

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, urging him to use his position “to without delay enter a nolle prosequi and discontinue the prosecution of the Convener of ‘RevolutionNow’ protest and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate for apparently politically motivated charges of treason, fraud and ‘insulting President Muhammadu Buhari’.” SERAP said: “We urge you to use your role as a trustee of the public interest under section 174 of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) to end several of similar trumped-up cases going on in several states.” In the letter dated 21 September 2019 and signed by ...

Amnesty International Reacts As Buhari Govt Slams Treason Charges On Sowore

22Sep

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Politics

Amnesty International Reacts As Buhari Govt Slams Treason Charges On Sowore

Amnesty international has reacted to the seven-count charge of treasonable felony and money laundering against detained activist and Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore by the Federal Government. Sowore, a presidential candidate in the February 2019 presidential election was charged along with Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate. The charges were signed on behalf of t‎he Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), by Aminu Alilu, a Chief State Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation‎, the Federal Ministry of Justice. In the charges instituted against the defendants, the prosecution accused Sowore and his co-defendant of committing conspiracy to commit treasonable felony in breach of section 516 ...