Sowore claims DSS denied him access to Kanu

The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, claimed on Thursday officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), denied him access to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Sowore, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, said he was invited by the IPOB leader to visit him at the DSS facility.

He noted that Kanu’s father-in-law was at the facility to see the activist.

Kanu is currently standing trial for treasonable felony at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Sowore, however, insisted that the IPOB leader did not commit any crime to warrant his extradition from Kenya.

He said: “His lawyer made an application for me to visit him with a lawyer who is also his father-in-law. His father-in-law, when he came back, said Kanu was eager to see me and that was why he left on time to enable me go in and see him.

READ ALSO: Sowore bemoans ‘unjust incarceration’ of Kanu, as Court adjourns case

“I waited for another 20 minutes and we had to approach them (DSS officials) to know what was going on. They said, ‘sorry, Mr. Sowore, the time of visitation has elapsed’ and that was how I was denied the opportunity to see him.

“So I am going to be pushing for visitation but this time around when I am going, I am going to invite everybody to come with me, anybody who is willing to come.

“But I am very disappointed. They think they can play games with some of us who are interested in seeing him freed as soon as possible. He hasn’t committed any crime to have warranted his extradition from Kenya.

“I know how sensitive they are about this. They have attacked me several times. But what is important is his rights and the rights of his people, the rights of Africans to seek whenever they want; their rights, either to self-determination, liberty, and freedom of association are not only enshrined in our constitution but also guaranteed by international organisations.”

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