Furious Falana threatens DSS with legal action over Sowore. Is agency acting out govt script on activist?

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has threatened to drag the Department of State Services (DSS) to court, over its refusal to release the co-convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore.

Falana in a statement issued on Thursday said the DSS in utter contempt of the orders of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu has refused to release Sowore and Bakare from custody despite perfecting their bail conditions.

According to him, this is the second time the DSS will refuse to release Sowore despite the court’s directive that the agency should release him and co-defendant.

The statement reads: “On 8th August 2019, the Honourable Justice Taiwo Taiwo granted the application of the State Security Service to detain Mr. Omoyele Sowore for 45 days.

READ ALSO: Sowore, Bakare have met bail conditions, will be freed Wednesday – Falana

“Upon the expiration of the 45-day detention period the court granted Mr. Sowore bail on September 24, 2019. He met the bail conditions but the State Security Service refused to release him from custody.

“Mr. Sowore and Mandate Bakare were subsequently charged with treasonable felony, cyber stalking and money laundering on September 30, 2019. The trial judge, the Honourable Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu admitted the defendants to bail under very stringent conditions. Upon meeting the bail conditions Justice Ojukwu directed the State Security Service to release the defendants from detention.

“But in utter contempt of the orders of Justice Ojukwu the State Security Service has refused to release Messrs Sowore and Bakare from custody.

“Since the State Security Service is not above the law of the land we shall embark on appropriate legal measures to ensure compliance with the court orders.”

The DSS has repeatedly defied court’s order to release Sowore and Bakare even after the duo had perfected their bail conditions.

The DSS had on Thursday confirmed the receipt of the court’s directive on Sowore’s release but decided to keep him in prison for reasons known only to the agency.

As it is now, one may be tempted to ask if the DSS is acting out a government’s script on the matter?

Many Nigerians including the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and the Co-ordinator of Bring Back Our Girls Advocacy Group, Obiageli Ezekwesili, have questioned the rationale behind the DSS decision to hold on to the Sahara Reporters publisher despite the court ordering his release from prison.

Nigerians are watching with keen interest this unfolding drama between the DSS and Sowore’s team.

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