The Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr Omoyele Sowore, who
is being held by the Department of State Services, has asked for
bail in liberal terms in a fresh application he filed before the
Federal High Court in Abuja.
Sowore filed the fresh application on Friday after his failed
bid to have the court hear his earlier one challenging the
detention order issued against him by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on July
8, 2019.
The affidavit he filed in support of the application stated in
part, “That the applicant (Sowore) herein has never been charged
with any criminal offence whatsoever.
“That the Nigeria police also conducted investigation on the
matter and made its findings public.
“That the persons who participated in the protests of August 5,
2019, were charged with the offence of unlawful assembly at the
Magistrates’ Court in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, Osogbo in Osun State
and Calabar (Cross River).
“That on the August 9, 2019, the applicant filed an application
to set aside, discharge and/or vacate the said ex parte order
permitting his detention for 45 days.”
The security agency had accused Sowore, the SaharaReporters
publisher and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress
in the last February 2019 poll, of planning to topple the President
Muhammadu Buhari government, through the protest.
Sowore denied the coup allegations insisting that he only
mobilised Nigerians to protest against bad governance and other
vices.
Following an ex parte application by the DSS, Justice Taiwo
Taiwo of the same Abuja division of the Federal High Court, on
August 8, issued a detention order permitting the security agency
to hold the activist for 45 days to enable it to conclude
investigations.
On August 9, 2018, Sowore, through his lead counsel, Mr Femi
Falana (SAN), filed a motion challenging the detention order.
But the efforts of his team of lawyers to make the court to hear
the application which was filed over a month ago, have yet to yield
any result.
In his fresh application which he filed on Friday, Sowore’s
lawyers argued that the DSS had completed its investigations,
adding that by Section 28 (4) of the Terrorism Prevention
(Amendment) Act, 2013 “a person detained pursuant to Section 27 (1)
can be admitted to bail by this honourable court.”
One of his lawyers, Marshal Abubakar, who deposed to the
affidavit filed in support of the application, prayed the court
grant bail to Sowore in liberal terms.
He added that the activist had responsible persons who could
stand as sureties for him.
The supporting affidavit read in part, “That no criminal charge
whatsoever has been brought against the applicant herein.
“That the applicant undertakes not to interfere with the
investigation of this case or make contacts with the witnesses of
the respondent.”
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