DSS stops Sowore’s lawyers, friends from taking him home – TheNigerialawyer

THE Department of State Security (DSS) on Saturday shunned
lawyers, associates and friends of the detained activist, Omoyele
Sowore, who had gathered at the agency’s national headquarters in
Abuja, to fetch him home.

The DSS had said, late on Friday, that the only reason Sowore
had not been let off the hook was that no one had come to take him
home.

Although, Sowore’s chief counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) had
immediately disputed the DSS’s claim, several other members of his
legal team and friends stormed the agency’s headquarters yesterday
morning, confident of taking him home at last, having perfected his
bail condition.

They included the Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Musikilu
Mojeed and activist Deji Adeyanju.

Mojeed arrived the premises at 8am.

The crowd was told by DSS front desk personnel that no official
was available to attend to them on Sowore.

They tried to reach, by phone, the DSS spokesman, Dr Peter
Afunanya, who issued the Friday statement on why Sowore had not
been released, but he did not pick the calls.

He also did not respond to text messages.

The Premium Times team also called the DSS lawyer handling
Sowore’s case, Emmanuel David, but he said he could not comment or
help in any way on the matter.

He asked that all inquiries should be directed to Afunanya.

Abubakar Marshal, a member of Sowore’s legal team got to the DSS
office at about 10am accompanied by the activist’s relations but
was denied entry by security guards.

The guards said they needed to get clearance from their superior
officers, sparking an exchange of hot words between them and the
lawyer.

Marshal vowed not to leave until Sowore was released.

As the drama unfolded, Marshal got a phone call from a top
official of the DSS who said he was not available.

This seemed to have angered some people in the crowd who started
shouting and cursing.

They threatened to remain there until Sowore was released to
them.

Adeyanju said: “They have refused to release Sowore to me or his
lawyer here.”

Afunanya had said on Friday that no person had turned up to take
delivery of Sowore since a court order was received for his
release.

He said the clarification was necessary for reasons of
accountability adding that the service had received the court order
for his release.

According to him, the Court had been properly briefed on the
development and steps are being taken to ensure compliance with the
order.

He said the service was not a lawless organisation and would
never obstruct justice or disobey court orders.

Afunanya pledged the commitment of the service to do the needful
upon completion of the appropriate processes for Sowore’s
release.

In a swift response to Afunanya’s statement, Falana said the
agency was off the track.

He said Sowore’s lawyers waited for four hours on Thursday to
take him home from the DSS detention facility without success.

He said: “On 6/11/19 the bailiff of the Federal High Court
wanted to serve the reproduction warrants issued by the court on
the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS). But the
SSS asked the bailiff to call back at 10.00 am on 7/11/19. The
bailiff did and was able to serve the reproduction warrants on the
DG of the SSS.

“Upon acknowledging the service of the reproduction warrants
,the SSS assured the bailiff and five lawyers from the defence team
that our clients would be released yesterday (Thursday). But the
SSS decided not to release our clients to our lawyers who waited in
vain in the agency’s headquarters for not less than four hours.

“When Sowore said that he would not make a statement without
first consulting with me the SSS management called me on phone on
6/8/19. Assuming the SSS had wanted to release our clients since
yesterday the management would have contacted me.

“It is pertinent to point out that the meaning of reproduction
warrant issued by a trial court is that the defendants be produced
for the purpose of releasing them having met their bail conditions.
In the instant case, the federal high court did not order the SSS
to hand over Messrs Sowore and Bakare to any person but to produce
them for the purpose of releasing them having met the suffocating
bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.

“Even though the SSS disobeyed the order of Justice Taiwo for
the release of Mr. Sowore on 24/9/19 it has turned round to
announce its readiness to comply with the order of Justice Ifeoma
Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and Bakare from illegal
custody.”

Justice Taiwo Taiwo granted the bail on Wednesday after relaxing
the stringent conditions that were initially attached to it.

He directed the DSS to release Sowore immediately.

But when Mr Sowore’s lawyers and associates attempted to serve
the order on the SSS at about 3:30 p.m., the agency drove them
away, saying it had closed for the day.

On Thursday, the SSS acknowledged receipt of the court order and
said its compliance was underway.