* Sowore faults claim he planned to topple govt
Detained convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore has faulted
claim by the Department of State Services (DSS) that he planned to
topple the government of President Mohammadu Burahi with his
planned protest.
Sowore, who is being held by the DSS after it got a court order
to detain him for 45 days in the first instance, categorically
denied plotting to topple the government.
He explained that his action was directed at expressing his
displeasure with the current state of affairs in the country.
Citing instances where the DSS had accused many prominent
Nigerians, including President Buhari of engaging in treasonable
acts for participating in street protest, Sowore denied receiving
funds from any external sources as claimed by the DSS.
Sowore’s position is contained in a document filed before the
Federal High Court, Abuja by his lawyer, Abubakar Mashal, a Legal
Practitioner in the Law Firm of Falana and Falana’s Chambers.
The document was filed on Tuesday in response to an earlier
application by the DSS, claiming among others that Sowore plotted
to topple the government.
He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the
ruling party had led street protests in the past which the
Applicant/Respondent claimed were planned to overthrow the federal
government.
“President Muhammadu Buhari led protest marches after each
consecutive loss of the presidential elections won by Messrs
Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP in
2003, 2004 and 2014 but was neither arrested nor charged for
planning to overthrow the government.
“The respondent/applicant (Sowore) is not a coup plotter like
the military officers who toppled elected governments in Nigeria in
January 1966 and December 1983 and who were never arrested and
prosecuted by the Federal government.
“Based on the misleading advice of the applicant/respondent
(DSS), any political leader who criticized the federal government
has always been accused of engaging in sabotage, treason,
treasonable felony or terrorism.
“He (Sowore) did not plan a coup with anyone but he mobilised
the Nigerian people including students and youths, workers, market
women and other oppressed people to influence the federal
government, the 36 state governments and 774 local governments to
address the crises of corruption, maladministration, mismanagement
of the economy and insecurity.
“The present administration had promised to create one million
jobs per annum, build one million houses per annum, end epileptic
supply of electricity, end corruption and impunity and restructure
the country, end insecurity and manage the economy in the interest
of the Nigerian people.
“Apart from failing to address these problems, the Muhammadu
Buhari administration has compounded them in a manner that majority
of Nigerians are frustrated.
“Aside the myriads of challenges noted above, insecurity has
increased to the extent that thousands of people have been killed
by terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers, armed herders, armed
soldiers and armed policemen without any hope in sight.”
Meanwhile the hearing of the application by Sowore, challenging
his detention and a similar application by the Islamic Movement of
Nigeria (INM) also known as Shiite Movement have been scheduled for
Wednesday.
Both cases are expected to be heard by Justice Evelyn Maha,
sitting in Court 11.
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