The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), has taken a swipe at the Directorate of State Security (DSS), for re-arresting Omoyele Sowore and Adebayo Bakare, aka, Mandate.
The activists have been standing trial for treasonable felony with the hashtag, #RevolutionNow since August.
They were on Thursday but were re-arrested inside the court premises on Friday.
In a statement by CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, the group stated that, “It was a moment of applause and commendation to the judiciary and the DSS itself when the leadership hierarchy of the secret Police finally acceded to the 24-hour ultimatum handed down to it by the Justice Ojukwu of the Federal High court, Abuja, yesterday.
“We had all heaved a sigh of relief that the security outfit has finally convinced itself of the need to act within the dictates and commands of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution and other laws of the land, only for us to learn of its commando-like re-arrest after physical and occasional assaults on the duo that involves guns and ammunition, rough handling, etc., within the court premises, contrary to the norms and practice in a democratic setting.
“From the video clip of the unfortunate incident at the court earlier today, it was clear that had it not been for the timely and courteous intervention of some journalists and legal practitioners that intervened, including his lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana, SAN, who later cautioned on the implications of the DSS insistence to desecrate the known tenets and ethos of democratic practice, by forcefully getting hold and whisking the duo away from the court premises, one could not imagine the dimension of wanton violence and probable loss of lives that could have taken place even in the full glare of national and international Media. Apparently, this is not the kind of compliments any responsible and worthy security agency should attract for itself and the country’s leadership even under a dictatorship.
“As a responsible civil society organization, we reiterate our calls for the security apparatus of the state to be more circumspect and mindful of democratic requirements under a civil government so as not to scare foreigners away thereby jeopardize our investment portfolio or precipitate breakdown of law and order in a way that the sovereignty and survival of the nation itself becomes threatened. Even if the DSS have any cause to file fresh or additional charges against the accused, either before same judge or other court of competent jurisdiction, this would have been done in cognizance of known procedures that would not precipitate contravention of law and order.
“We, therefore, call for immediate and unconditional release of same accused since nothing has shown them to be any cogent threat to the continued survival and peaceful coexistence of the Nigerian nation, while issues of perennial conflicts are objectively looked into for the nation to take its rightful place amongst comity of nations.”
Falana revealed that the DSS said they were inviting Sowore and his co-accused, Olawale Bakare for questioning at their office on fresh charges.
He, however, stated that the secret police was yet to disclose what the charges are.
The Senior lawyer made the disclosure while condemning DSS’ invasion of an Abuja courtroom, where they chased away lawyers before re-arresting Sowore.
According to Falana: “The atmosphere was very rowdy, but I insisted that the arrest could not be carried out within the precinct of the court. He was going to be arrested outside the premises but there was a crowd that resisted the arrest, but I appealed to everybody and asked Sowore to jump into my car and so we drove to the office of the SSS because they said he will just answer a few questions, but now he is being detained.
“We are going to take steps under the law by asking for his release again since they are claiming this is a fresh arrest.
“Nobody has disclosed yet what his charges are; he couldn’t have committed any other offence because he has been detained for the past four months unless the SSS wants to tell the whole world that he committed this fresh offence while in their custody.”
Also reacting, convener of Concerned Nigerian, Deji Adeyanju, on Friday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the country’s constitution and disband National Assembly because of his perceived penchant for disobeying court orders.
Speaking with newsmen, Adeyanju also charged Buhari to abrogate the judiciary and transform into a Military Head of State because he is a “tyrant.”
He was reacting after operatives of the DSS invaded the courtroom of an Abuja Federal High Court and rearrested Sowore.
Adeyanju said: “This is tyranny taken too far. We are now in a full military regime. Buhari should suspend the constitution, disband the national assembly, abrogate the judiciary and come out fully as military head of state.
“You saw the way they stormed the court like gangsters, chased away lawyers and took him away.
“Buhari is a tyrant. He has no human sympathy.”
