* Condemns The Invasion And Sealing Off The Office Of Sahara
Reporters By Nigeria Police
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the National
Chairman, Peoples Alternative Front has condemned in stronger terms
the Nigeria Police Force for invading the secretariat of the
Committee of the Defence of Human Rights and sealing off the office
of Sahara Reporters in Lagos.
The learned silk laments that in spite of the fundamental rights
of the Nigerian people to freedom of assembly and freedom of
expression the Police had wanted to disrupt and stop the peaceful
meeting of law-abiding citizens to discuss the illegal detention of
Omoyele Sowore, Agba Jalingo, Abayomi Olawale and scores of others
being incarcerated in various detention facilities in the
country.
He further lamented that the DSS has detained Sowore for 47 days
contrary to the order of the federal high court that he be detained
for 45 days even when the court refused their application for the
renewal of its order for the detention of Messrs Agba Jalingo and
Ekanem Ekpo for 14 days.
In spite of the expiration of the detention order of the two
journalists, they are being held by the Police in Cross River.
Mr. Abayomi Olawale who was arrested on August 5, 2019 has been
detained for 45 days by the State Security Service without any
court order whatsoever. These detainees and scores of others
languishing in illegal custody ought to be released forthwith.
“While congratulating the organisers of the symposium for
successfully holding the programme at another venue the harassment
of law-abiding citizens cannot be tolerated under a regime that is
busy negotiating with bandits and terrorists, bribing them with
public funds and granting them amnesty.” He said..