TENSION RISES! Sowore Attacked As DSS Unleashes Terror On Him At Abuja Court; See What Happened
Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist and activist, was attacked by the personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria’s secret police, on Monday, February 26, 2024, as he was on his way to collect a certified true copy (CTC) of the court order that dismissed the treasonable felony case against him.
Soware, who is the founder of Sahara Reporters, an online news platform, and the convener of RevolutionNow, a pro- democracy movement, was accosted by the DSS operatives at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had gone to obtain the CTC of the ruling that quashed the charges of treason, cyberstalking. and money laundering that the Nigerian government had filed against him in 2019.
According to eyewitnesses, the DSS
personnel seized Sowore’s mobile phone, assaulted his supporters, and attempted to drag him into their vehicle. However, Sowore resisted the arrest and demanded to know the reason for the attack. He also called on the public to witness the violation of his rights and the harassment by the DSS.
Sowore s lawyer, Femi Falana, who was also present at the scene, Intervened and prevented the DSS from taking Sowore away. Falana argued that the DSS had no legal basis to arrest Sowore, as he had been cleared of all the charges by the court. He also reminded the DSS that they had previously disobeyed several court orders to release Sowore on bail, and that they had no authority to interfere with his freedom of movement
and expression.
Falana accused the DSS of acting on the
orders of the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, who he said was displeased with Sowore’s criticism of his administration and his advocacy for a revolution in Nigeria. Falana said that the DSS was trying to intimidate and silence Sowore, who had exposed the corruption, human rights abuses, and insecurity in the country.
Sowore, who spoke to the media after the incident, said that he was not deterred by the DSS attack, and that he would continue to fight for the liberation of Nigeria from tyranny and oppression. He said that he had obtained the CTC of the court order that vindicated him of the false allegations, and that he would use It to sue the Nigerian government for
malicious prosecution and persecution.
Sowore also thanked his supporters and
the international community for standing. by him and demanding his release from detention. He said that he was committed to the cause of RevolutionNow, which he said was a peaceful and non- violent movement that aimed to end the misrule and mismanagement of Nigeria by the ruling elite
Sowore’s case has attracted widespread
attention and condemnation from local
and international human rights groups, civil society organizations, journalists, and activists, who have denounced the Nigerian government’s clampdown on
dissenting voices and the violation of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
Sowore was first arrested by the DSS on
August 3, 2019, two days before a planned nationwide protest by RevolutionNow. He was accused of plotting to overthrow the government and inciting the public against the president. He was detained for over four released months, despite several court orders. granting him bail. He was briefly on December 5, 2019, but was rearrested the following day in a dramatic and violent manner inside the courtroom.
He was eventually released on bail on December 24, 2019, after a prolonged legal battle and pressure from local and international actors. He remained under strict conditions, such as reporting to the
court every two weeks, not traveling
outside Abuja, and not granting
interviews to the media.
On February 16, 2024, Justice Ijeoma
Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in
Abuja dismissed the case against.
Sowore and his co- defendant, Olawale
for lack of evidence and merit.
Bakare, She also ordered the DSS to return Sowore’s passport and other seized Items, and lifted the restrictions on his movement and expression.
However, the DSS has refused to comply
with the court order, and has continued
to harass and intimidate Sowore and his
supporters. The latest attack on Sowore
has raised fresh concems about the
state of democracy, human rights, and
the rule of law in Nigeria, which is Africa’
s most populous and largest economy.
The DSS has not issued any official
statement or explanation for the attack
on Sowore, and the Nigerian government
has not commented on the matter. The
(CPJ), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists Amnesty International, and other groups have condemned the attack and called for the respect of Sowore’s rights and the cessation of the harassment by the DSS.
Sowore, who is also a former presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, has vowed to challenge the DSS in court and to expos etheir illegal and unconstitutional activities. He has also called on Nigerians to join the Revolution Now movement and to demand for a better and more accountable governance in Nigeria-Cameroon.
(SAKARATY)
