Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the
government will be making a mistake if it files charges against
Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore, who is the convener of #RevolutionNow movement, has been
detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since
Saturday.
The DSS had accused him of threatening public peace and safety
with his planned nationwide protest.
But speaking at an event organised by the Chartered Institute of
Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Tuesday, the senior lawyer who though
did not mention President Muhammadu Buhari’s name directly, said
Sowore had briefed him from detention that in the case he would be
charged, his first witness would be someone in government who in
2011 also called for a revolution.
Then a presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), Buhari had called for a revolution in Nigeria –
although through an electoral process.
Sowore, according to Falana, refused to write a statement,
insisting the DSS allow him to speak with his lawyer.
“I do hope that the government will not be stupid to charge
Sowore. In fairness to them (DSS), they gave him a telephone to
phone me. Of course I knew they were monitoring the phone, and I
told him I hope they won’t charge you, because if they do, some of
the people in government will be our witnesses,” he said.
“You know why? One of them, I won’t mention his name. In 2011,
he asked Nigerians to learn from the Egyptian revolution and be
ready for a revolution in Nigeria. So, he will be my first
witness.
“The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and four other people were
charged with treasonable felony by the Ibrahim Babangida junta. I
was one of them. We were detained in Kuje prison for two months. We
were taken to the court, and what was the offence? I think we went
beyond Sowore. We posted thousands of posters across the country,
that Babangida must go. That was the treasonable felony.”
Falana, who stood in defence alongside Fawehinmi, said they
argued that the then military president did not come to office
through constitutional means.
He added that those in government now harassing Nigerians with
treason would someday, too, be tried for treason.
It is not clear if Sowore will be charged as Peter Afunanya, DSS
spokesperson is yet to respond to messages seeking development on
the matter.
Nairalaw recalls that the Court fixes August 8 for
ruling on Sowore detention order