Keyamo SAN denies supporting Sowore’s arrest – TheNigerialawyer

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus
keyamo (SAN), has denied justifying the re-arrest of Sahara
Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.

Keyamo made the rebuttal on his official Twitter handle on
Tuesday.

The minister himself had been arrested in the past for activism
and for calling for the secession of the Niger Delta in the early
2000s.

Following Sowore’s re-arrest last Thursday, there were reports
on social media that Keyamo said a person could be arrested
anywhere including a courtroom.

He was quoted as saying, “There is nothing constitutionally
wrong with rearresting Sowore in courtroom, an offender can be
captured anywhere.”

In his rebuttal on Tuesday, however, Keyamo said he never made
such a statement even as he stated that fake news had become a
threat to Nigeria.

He tweeted, “Fake news with no link. The unfortunate ones have
fallen for it. As usual, there would be no apologies to me. Life
goes on. It’s freedom of speech!”

Keyamo’s tweet, however, attracted more comments as many of his
followers asked him to express his view on the controversial arrest
of Sowore.

@Chimaxstanley1 tweeted, “Since Friday you haven’t spoken
anything about that the Sss did even as a Legal practitioner of
your state too bad sir.”

@great_khaly also tweeted, “I know you will never say this sir,
but please kindly tell us your position on Sowore’s attempted
arrest in a court of law.”

The Presidency and the State Security Service had on Sunday
defended the re-arrest of Sowore who is standing trial before a
Federal High Court.

However, many human rights advocates serving in Buhari’s
government have kept mute since the incident occurred.

See tweet:

Fake news with no link. The unfortunate ones
have fallen for it. As usual, there would be no apologies to me.
Life goes on. It’s freedom of speech! https://t.co/39Nfob8yKJ^[1]

— Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) December
9, 2019^[2]