Omoyele Sowore now detained for 45 days

Today officially makes it day 45 that the convener of the RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, has been in DSS detention.

The Lagos State Africa Action Congress (AAC) Legal Team has asked for his immediate release.

Reacting to the freshly 7-count charge suit on the Sahara Reporters’ publisher by the Federal Government, the league of lawyers said that “We are not aware that Sowore was remanded to prison by any Court order on 20th September, 2019.”

The AAC affirmed that “in the events preceding the charge, we have unequivocally maintained that unless a definite charge is brought against him, his continuous detention cannot be justified under the Nigerian Constitution.”


The full statement made available to NigerainEye, and signed by the head of the AAC legal team, Tope Akinyode, titled UPON COMPLETION OF 45 DAYS, SOWORE MUST BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED FROM DSS DETENTION TODAY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO reads:

”Our attention has been drawn to the 7 count-charge of treasonable felony among others which the DSS preferred against Omoyele Sowore on 20th September, 2019.

In the events preceding the charge, we have unequivocally maintained that unless a definite charge is brought against Omoyele Sowore, his continuous detention cannot be justified under the Nigerian Constitution. This is because the ex parte order upon which the DSS is granted permission to withhold Sowore for 45 days negates the fundamental principle of fair hearing and the ex parte order has since been challenged before the Court.

However, in the prevailing circumstances, need has arisen for the DSS to let go of Sowore before today runs to an end. We are not aware that Sowore was remanded to prison by any Court order on 20th September, 2019.

In criminal matters, pending when bail application is made on behalf of a Defendant, he may be temporarily remanded by Court.

The Defendant (Sowore) was not remanded by Court order yesterday. However, the 45-day Court order upon which the DSS has continuously held on to him Sowore expires today, 21st September, 2019. Based on the foregoing, we hereby call on the DSS to release Omoyele Sowore from their facilities with immediate effect.

We submit that the DSS lacks the judicial, statutory or constitutional jurisdiction to further withhold Sowore any moment from today and it would amount to a rape on the Nigerian Constitution if the DSS refuses to release Sowore today.

”