Court fixes date to hear Sowore’s plea to have ‘stringent’ bail conditions softened

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Monday, October 21, as date to hear an application by Omoyele Sowore, to have his bail conditions softened.

The court had on October 4, 2019, granted Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare bail.

But his counsel, Femi Falana (SAN) had then described the bail conditions as stringent.

Consequently, counsels to the defendants had filed an application seeking the variation of the bail conditions the court imposed on Sowore and Bakare.

The court had in the ruling on October 4, granted Sowore bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

It said the two sureties must have landed property in Abuja worth N100 million each and must be resident in the city.

It also ordered that the two sureties must deposit in the court’s registry, the original title documents of their Abuja property to back the bail bonds.

The court further ordered that one of Sowore’s sureties must deposit the sum of N50 million in the court’s bank account as security.

The sureties would also swear to affidavits of means and produce in court evidence of tax clearance for years 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Sowore was also ordered to deposit his passport in the registry of the court, barred from travelling outside Abuja pending the period of the trial and must not address any gathering throughout the period of his trial.

The second defendant, Bakare was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety, who must be resident and have property worth that sum in Abuja.

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The surety is also required to deposit the title document for the property in the court’s registry, while Bakare would have to deposit his passport, among other terms and conditions.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who delivered the ruling, subsequently fixed November 6, for trial.

Sowore and Bakare, who are in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS), were being tried for alleged treasonable felony and other offences.

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