The Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, granted the Department of State Services (DSS), permission to detain publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, for 45 days.
The DSS had filed a motion to the court to detain the convener of the proposed #RevolutionNow protest for 90 days, but the court only granted 45 days.
Recall that Sowore was whisked away by members of the DSS at his residence over the weekend for what it termed ‘treasonable’ statement, for describing the proposed protest as a revolution.
Mixed reactions have trailed his arrest and that of several other demonstrators.
The European Union said the protests remain a cardinal part of democracy as long as they remain peaceful.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen, however, said it was not the job of the EU to tell Nigeria how to conduct its internal affairs but added that the judiciary should be allowed to do its job.
Karlsen said this while responding to questions at the ‘departure orientation for the 2019 Erasmus+ Scholarship Awardees’ in Abuja, yesterday.
He said he was not aware of any petition sent to the EU by rights groups who had criticised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government over the clampdown on protesters.
The ambassador said, “The European Union stands firm on the principles of freedom of speech and our fundamental values. Of course, it is important in any democratic society for people to be able to participate.
“I am not aware of any petition following the latest events in Nigeria but what I can say is that as long as people seek peaceful means to demonstrate and voice their political opinion, this is what we see as a natural part of a thriving democracy.
“Of course, any democracy or any society in the world must jealously guard and make sure that such pronouncements are always non-violent and that they respect the fundamental rules of the game and democracy at the end of the day and it is for the Nigerian justice system, in the end, to follow up on specific cases and as long as these cases are being dealt with in the Nigerian justice system, it is not for the EU or the EU ambassador to judge what is right or wrong in these occasions but of course we always follow very carefully when there are dissenting voices in the countries where we operate and we listen very carefully to all of them.”
The Federal Government had last Saturday arrested Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, for organising a nationwide protest calling for a revolution.
Last Monday, security agencies also clamped down on protesters, arresting those who decided to demonstrate at the National Stadium, Surulere.
A Federal High Court in Abuja granted the Department of State Services’ request to detain Sowore for 45 days pending investigation for alleged treason and terrorism.
Similarly, Ohanaeze Ndigbo youths wing has joined the call for immediate release of the convener of the #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore.
It condemned the Federal Government for disrupting the protest, saying it was not intended to upset its agenda.
In a statement yesterday by the national leader of the group, Dr. Arthur Uchenna Obiorah, the body said Sowore’s detention fell below international standard.
It asked the leaders to read between the lines to discover the protesters’ demand in the general interest of the country.
The statement partly reads: “We refute the claims that the group’s intention was to upset the government agenda.
“The authority should read between the lines and decode the true messages behind the nationwide agitations.
“We request an unconditional release of the Presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore whose detention by the men of the Department of Secret Service DSS, has fallen below international standard that allows freedom of association, expression and assemblage of men of like minds.
“The nation is in dire need of national conference where most of the questions itemized by Sowore are considered for implementation.
“The clamour for #RevolutionNow by Nigerians should be well thought about.
“It is an avenue where Nigerians explore to pour out their minds on the state of the nation in protest of what they feel is not right within the context of the universal coverage.”
The youths’ leader further called on President Buhari to reconsider the earlier request by the Southern and Middle Belt leaders on restructuring of the country that would devolve powers to the federating units.
Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has slammed the Federal Government for arraigning human rights activist and convener, #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, under the Terrorism Act.
It also condemned the court ruling remanding the former presidential candidate in custody for 45 days.
The National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the order marked “a new phase in the orchestrated conscription of the democratic space in Nigeria.”
Insisting that the Terrorism Act cannot be superior to the Constitution which stipulated that a citizen cannot be detained for more than 48 hours before being charged to court, Afenifere in a statement, yesterday, stated that Sowore was arrested before he could commit a crime, noting that he was being held illegally using the legal process.
The group said, “The order represents a new phase in the orchestrated conscription of the democratic space in Nigeria. Sowore was arrested before he could commit an offence and the DSS (Department of State Services) seems to want to go shopping for evidence to prosecute him.”
Odumakin advised the government to act in conformity with the democratic tenets in dealing with the rights of Nigerians, describing Sowore’s detention as a great injustice.
The Convener, Free Nigeria Movement, Raphael Adebayo, said Nigerians were appalled by the court order which he described as unjust.
He said the ruling was a testament to the entrenched injustice in the country which the #RevolutionNow protests intended to end.
The movement demanded Sowore’s immediate release, stating that his continued incarceration “will only hasten the revolution which has already begun in different parts of the country.”
Adebayo stated, “Any society where it is easier to persecute ordinary citizens than it is to prosecute thieving elite is a society heading towards anarchy.
“By ordering the DSS to further detain Sowore, the court has made it clear that it is far from being an institution of justice in which the people can trust.”
Meanwhile, a political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has described the judiciary as Nigeria’s major problem, adding that most judges are now shy and afraid of delivering fair judgement because of their corruption records.
Frank, however, called on the international community to also ban judges and their immediate family members, who could not summon courage to deliver the right judgement.
In a statement released to newsmen, yesterday in Abuja, Frank condemned the court ruling ordering the detention of Omoyele Sowore for 45 days, he urged the United Stated of America, United Kingdom and the European Union to fish out corrupt and compromised Judges in Nigeria and enforce visa restrictions against like politicians.
The Bayelsa-born political activist wondered the type of offence that Sowore committed to warrant his detention for 45 days without trial in a court of law.
Frank described the detention order as the manifestation of what he described as a ‘Satanic collaboration’ between the executive and the judiciary to suppress opposition voices in the country, adding that Judges who are often quick to grant bail to corrupt politicians are afraid to release activists fighting for the socio-political emancipation of the country and her people.
He called on Nigerians not to acquiesce in the face of evil but to speak out and take the struggle to the door steps of corrupt Nigerian Judges in order to save the nation’s judiciary.
“I urge the Judiciary to wake up because Nigerians are becoming impatient with the kind of judgements coming out from the temple of justice expected to be the last hope of the common man.
“When people cannot get justice, they would sooner than later resort to self-help. Some corrupt Judges presently manning some courts should not add to Nigeria’s woes because posterity’s unavoidable judgement awaits both the Judged and the Judges.
“It is expected of judge to be fair, bold and not succumb to intimidation from any angle. The APC’s administration has a penchant for manipulating the nation’s judicial system but any Judge who cannot resist their pressure should step aside now before Nigerians will rise against them.
“I hereby call on Nigerians to prepare to take the protest to the door-steps of the judiciary as they are the biggest problem we have today.
“Besides, I call on the USA, UK, EU and other members of the international community to fish out corrupt elements in the judiciary and place travel ban on them like some of them have done to the 2019 election riggers,” he said.