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Revolution Now: Court denies Sowore bail, returns him to DSS custody

Clement Daniel with Agency report
Clement Daniel with Agency report
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Omoyele Sowore

The convener of Revolution Now movement, Omoyele Sowore, was returned to the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, as an Abuja Federal High Court refused to grant him bail.

He was arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on treasonable felony, money laundering and cyber crimes.

Recall that Sowore was arrested on August 3, 2019, following the protest said to be designed to wrest power from the government over alleged incompetence.

Although Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered that he should be released following the expiration of the order for him to be detained for 45 days, DSS refused to release him.

When arraigned on Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, while denying Sowore bail, directed his counsel, Mr Adeyinka Fusika, to file a formal bail application.

Sowore will remain in custody till October 4 when the bail application would be made and hearing would continue.

Fusika who earlier objected to the arraignment argued that it was wrong for the DSS not to obey the order of the court which said Sowore should be released.

“It doesn’t matter the circumstances, orders must be obeyed before taking benefits from the court.

“You can’t obey only when it’s in your favour,” he said.

Fusika said that he was not aware of today’s arraignment but was informed by the pages of newspapers.

“We were in their office on Thursday for long but we’re not informed of today’s arraignment.

“This is an ambush, we are experiencing court orders being disobeyed and they will make people say Nigerian courts are not effective,” he said.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Justice Ojukwu however said that the defendant had been charged and were meant to plead either guilty or not guilty

She said that there was no impediment for the plea not to be taken as the plea could be changed in presence of counsel.

Counsel to the Federal Government, Hassan Liman, SAN, said that he was set to commence hearing and urged the court to fix a date.

Liman requested that the defendant remained in custody.

 

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