Mr. Femi Falana has denied the claim by the Department of State Services, DSS, that there was no one to receive the convener of Revolution Now, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, from its custody.
Falana said contrary to the DSS’ claim, lawyers waited in vain for over four hours to receive Sowore at the headquarters of the DSS after the order for his release was served.
He however said lawyers would be present to receive Sowore today.
Falana is the counsel to Sowore who has been detained since August 2019 over alleged involvement in a treasonable felony offence among others by organizing the Revolution Now protest.
The statement issued by Falana to fault the claim of the DSS reads in part:
“On 6/11/19 the bailiff of the federal high court wanted to serve the reproduction warrants issued by the court on the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS). But the SSS asked the Bailiff to call back at 10.00 am on 7/11/19. The bailiff did and was able to serve the reproduction warrants on the DG of the SSS.
“Upon acknowledging the service of the reproduction warrants the SSS assured the bailiff and five lawyers from the defence team that our clients would be released yesterday. But the SSS decided not to release our clients to our lawyers who waited in vain in the agency’s headquarters for not less than 4 hours.
“When Sowore said that he would not make a statement without first consulting with me the SSS management called me on phone on 6/8/19. Assuming the SSS had wanted to release our clients since yesterday the management would have contacted me.
“It is pertinent to point out that the meaning of reproduction warrant issued by a trial court is that the defendants be produced for the purpose of releasing them having met their bail conditions. In the instant case, the federal high court did not order the SSS to hand over Messrs Sowore and Bakare to any person but to produce them for the purpose of releasing them having met the suffocating bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.
“Even though the SSS disobeyed the order of the Honourable Justice Taiwo for the release of Mr. Sowore on 24/9/19 it has turned round to announce its readiness to comply with the order of the Honourable Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and Bakare from illegal custody.”
