An Abuja Federal High Court will, tomorrow, rule in the application filed by the Department of State Service (DSS), seeking an order to detain the African Action Congress’s presidential candidate in the 2019 elections, Mr Omoyele Sowore, for 90 days pending the conclusion of its investigation.
In an ex-parte order with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/915/19, Counsel to the DSS, G. O. Agbadua, told Justice Taiwo Taiwo that a video clip evidence was also attached to the application.
He urged the judge to grant the application seeking to detain the publisher of Sahara Reporters beyond 48 hours as required by the law.
The Convener of #RevolutionNow protests, Sowore, was on August 3 arrested by the security outfit and moved to Abuja on August 4 for the protests he intended to hold across the country.
Justice Taiwo, who adjourned the matter until August 8, said the development was to enable him to watch the video clip before delivering his ruling.
However, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), yesterday, lashed out at the Federal Government for cracking down on the Convener of RevolutionNow, Mr. Omoleye Sowore and other Nigerians, who peacefully demonstrated their disaffection, noting that the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari should tackle the issues presented by the group.
In a statement by the National Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mulade, the regional group said, “PANDEF calls for the immediate release of Mr. Omoleye Sowore and all those Nigerians who may have been arrested in course of peacefully demonstrating their disaffection at the state of affairs of the nation.”
“The Federal Government ought to note the issues highlighted by the RevolutionNow protestations and take needed actions to address the hardship in the country, rather than cracking down on citizens for exercising their rights to speech, association, and assembly.”
The statement read in part: “The Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, strongly condemns the arrest of the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore by the Department of State Service (DSS) for his active role in the planned nationwide march to demand for decisive actions, from the government, on the nation’s security, economic, educational and healthcare challenges.
“PANDEF equally condemn actions of the Nigerian Police Force for describing the planned protests as treasonable felony and acts of terrorism. If we may ask, how can protest against insecurity, suffering and hardship in the country occasioned by misrule, amount to treasonable felony?
“Meanwhile, those who are actually threatening the unity and stability of the country by killing and maiming innocent Nigerians daily, are freely moving around in the country.
“It is disconcerting that the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is increasingly becoming intolerant of criticism and contrary opinions, and undemocratic in its actions.
“The fundamental human rights of association and expression of views are protected and guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution provides amongst other things that every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his or her interests.
“We would, therefore, call on the APC-led Federal Government and agencies of government to demonstrate greater respect for the nation’s constitution and its provisions, particularly those concerning fundamental rights such as right to life, right to dignity of the human person, right to personal liberty, right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful assembly and association,” it asserted.
But shocking revelations have emerged on the botched anti-government protest tagged ‘Revolution Now’.
The Coalition for One Nigeria (CON), which made this revelation, claimed that the said huge amount of money was released for the RevolutionNow to stage the nationwide protest in a bid to topple the democratically elected government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, National President of CON, Johnson Adelowo Olusola, called for further investigation into the action.
It further vowed to hold responsible any of the security agencies that allow the sovereignty of Nigeria to be violated without acting to bring the perpetrators to book.
The group, however, reaffirmed commitment to indivisibility of Nigeria under President Buhari.
The protests were alternately branded RevolutionNow or #DaysofRage.
According to the group, “International collaborators of the protesters had tried hard to present it to Nigerians as the equivalent of Arab Spring in Nigeria, an illusion of popular revolt or citizen’s uprising.
“On the contrary, the protests were being paid for, both by the opposition in Nigeria and foreign interests that are interested in destabilising Nigeria, and there is nothing spontaneous about them.
“The organisers of the protests had tried their best to incite public anger but were disappointed that the populace sees hope in the direction the current elected leadership of Nigeria is taking the country.
“It is against this background that the Coalition for One Nigeria wishes to bring to the notice of Nigerians the grand plot by these people to cause a crisis of phenomenal proportion in the country using proxies that appear to have garnered some level of public clout in the society.
“Nigerians should note that the moment the arrowhead of the attempted coup was arrested, other collaborators in the insidious project to disrupt Nigeria were immediately activated to begin castigating the government.
“It was also discovered that a huge sum of money was budgeted for the RevolutionNow protest in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory”, the group added.
Similarly, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWGN) has berated the “Revolution Now’’ and describes the movement, led by Mr Omoyele Sowore, as destructive.
The group called on security agencies to deal decisively with those behind the movement, noting that such movement “is unpatriotic and an act of incitement.’’
The group stated this in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi in Abuja, yesterday.
The group said, “We condemn, in strong terms, the planned protest being sponsored by discredited politicians and destructive elements in the society.
“While lawful protest is reasonable, any attempt to subvert good governance by raising armed bandits, kidnappers and abductors to lay siege to the country and turn-round to call for senseless revolution will not work,’’ the group said.
According to him, mischief makers must not be allowed to misinform and mislead the people by calling for revolution.
“Whoever is in detention for breaching the laws of the land must not only be detained but be investigated and prosecuted.
“Any attempt by any individual or group of people to use undemocratic process to change the government should be met with stiff sanction’’, the group said.
However, the police, yesterday, arraigned five people and a lawyer for the #RevolutionNow protests, in an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
The police charged Ehis Omoshomio, 35; Gabriel Ojumah, 51, Juwon Sanyaolu, 22; Stanley Anobi, 28; Elias Ozikpu, 30; Kenechukwu Ukachukwu, 25, with two counts of unlawful assembly and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
The counsel to the State Criminal Intelligence and Information Department (SCIID) Panti, Mr Ibijoke Akinpelu, and the resident prosecutor, Insp. Kehinde Omisakin, said that the defendants committed the offence on August 5, at 10 a.m., at National Stadium, Surulere.
Akinpelu alleged that the six defendants, assembled at the National Stadium, Surulere, to protest, adding that the gathering was unlawful and caused fear to the public.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 44 and 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Chief Magistrate A.O. Komolafe admitted Ojumah, a lawyer, to bail based on self-recognition and the other five defendants N100, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Komolafe adjourned the case until September 26 for mention.
The publisher of the online medium, Sahara Reporters, Mr Omoyele Sowore, who was also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the February, 2019 General Election, had called the #RevolutionNow, in what he described as a protest against bad governance in the country.
Meantime, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has expressed disappointment that the convener of #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, has not been arraigned.
Sowore was arrested in the early hours of Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services in a hotel in Lagos.
The state agency said Sowore was arrested on account of the #RevolutionNow protest which he had spearheaded.
The protests held on Monday, in some states of the federation.
Security agents clamped down on the Monday protesters, and made arrests.
No fewer than 26 of those arrested were arraigned in a Lagos court, yesterday.
Sowore was moved to Abuja, last Sunday morning, and is currently being detained in the custody of the DSS.
Speaking with newsmen, yesterday, Falana said he expected Sowore to have been arraigned on Monday because, by law, a suspect should not be kept in detention without arraignment within 48 hours of arrest.
When asked, yesterday, what he would do on account of the extended detention of the human rights activist, Falana said, “I have sent lawyers to the DSS as of Tuesday morning and I’m awaiting a feedback.”
Falana, who disagreed with the police that Sowore was liable to be prosecuted for treason for allegedly planning to overthrow a democratically-elected government through a revolution, said arrangements had been made to defend the activist if he is arraigned.
Also reacting, the Coalition of former 2019 Presidential Aspirants and Candidates has called for the unconditional release of Sowore, without further delay.
The coalition said this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
The statement read, “We, the Coalition of former 2019 Presidential Aspirants and Candidates, under the aegis of Third Force Forum, hereby demand the unconditional release of one of our compatriots, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, who was arrested by an agency of the government on August 2, 2019, pursuant to plans for a protest march across Nigeria; which is within his full constitutional rights toward “Freedom of Expression”, pursuant to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We must also remind you Mr. President, that in addition to the Nigerian Constitution, Nigeria also subscribes to other International Treaties, which prohibit violation of human rights of her citizens.
“To refrain from adhering to these national and international rights, is to invite anarchy onto the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“As you are fully aware Mr. President, every democratic government that subscribes to the Rule of Law, has time-tested methods of containing any breach of the peace during peaceful protests; without clamping down on our fundamental rights of ‘Freedom of Expression’ and to peaceably assemble, in-order to address grievances by the government; even when those views expressed are contrary to the views of the current government.
“Therefore, we implore you to immediately order the applicable agencies of the state to immediately release Mr. Omoyele Sowore unconditionally, in-order to maintain peace in our country, and to deter further national and international repercussions on this matter.
“Thank you for your cooperation in this matter Mr. President, we look forward to a mutually respectful Nigeria for all Nigerians.”
Also speaking, the presidential candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) in the 2019 general election, Fela Durotoye, called for the immediate release of Omoyele Sowore.
Durotoye said that Sowore has a constitutional right to protest and make demands against bad governance, hence should be released from the DSS custody.
According to him, Sowore only lent his voice to the collective frustration of Nigerians, adding that the country is in dire need of a new beginning.
Durotoye, on his official Twitter page, wrote: “Nigeria is in dire need of a new beginning. Every Nigerian has a constitutional right to Freedom of Speech and peaceful protest.
“My brother, Omoyele Sowore, has only learnt his voice to our collective frustration as a people. The voices of the people must be heard. Free Sowore now.
“What affects one of us will eventually affect all of us. We must all stand together to demand the immediate release of Omoyele Sowore now.”
Meanwhile, the Convener, Concerned Nigerians (CN), and human rights activist, Prince Deji Adeyanju, yesterday, said that the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, should expect more protests.
Adeyanju stated this in a chat with Vanguard while reacting to the arrest of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), for the 2019 general election, Mr. Omowole Sowore, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and clampdown of protesters on Monday by security agents.
According to him Section 14 of the Constitution states that sovereignty belongs to the people and it is from the people that the government derives all its powers, noting that civil societies have the right to protest over what they see as unacceptable.
He said: “There will be more protests because this attempt to cow people won’t work. Just like what Femi Falana said, a government that sees every protest as treason cannot be a democratic government. They should continue to protest and that is my advice to them.
“Basically, we have a government that does not understand what the Constitution says. In the constitution section 14 says sovereignty belongs to the people and it is from the people the government derives all its powers.
“If the government says it wants to take away the power from the people then such a government is not a democratic government in line with section 14 that says Nigeria shall be a democracy under social justice shall prevail.
“Based on what the government did yesterday (Monday) was to take away sovereignty from the people because the people have right to protest.
“Now the protesters have the power to protest under the Constitution. The President knows that people who want to overthrow democratically elected government don’t protest but they do it secretly at night; they plan, conspire through brutal force. The government must tolerate opposition, protesters.”
He also accused the government of hiring protesters to storm Amnesty International’s office recently, which the police did not teargas them, rather gave them security cover unlike what they did to #RevolutionNow protesters.
“They hired protesters to go protest at Amnesty Office, and the police did not shoot at them, and also organised protesters at Unity Fountain, Abuja, to protest and were given security cover and were not harassed”, he said.
He condemned the arrest of Sowore, who initiated #RevolutionNow, and described it as illegality and wondered how long it will continue, “Arrest of Sowore is an illegality and I don’t know how long the President will continue to perpetrate all these constitutional illegalities he has been doing.
“All over the world protest is the potent way to draw government attention. Late Martin Luther King Jnr, Mahamanth Ghandi did and all over the world is successful.
“It happened in Sao Tome and Principe when there was violent takeover of government the people said they would not go to work and the military regime failed because they could not get the people to cooperate with them.
“When did the protesters for #RevolutionNow ever called for arms? They specifically said they were protesting the incessant killings, corruption in the country, unemployment, and increment in living wages. So, how does that amount to a violent takeover of government? Those who we have elected to lead know what the law says.”
However, the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) has called on conveners and organizers of ‘Revolution Now’ to be cautious in the use of hyperbolic and sensational words as they may be interpreted otherwise thereby heightening the already tense situation in the country.
In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Centre, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), in Abuja, the centre said the tension and restiveness which are generated by the deteriorating conflict trends are further aggravated by the prevalent hate speeches and resentful communication in the polity.
The statement reads in part, “This is a dangerous development which if not well managed and timely too, could spark off national crisis with far reaching consequences.
“Sensational and hyperbolic words such as ‘Revolution Now’ if loosely used, will no doubt be misinterpreted thereby heightening tensions and heating up the polity. There is the need on the part of the government and the governed to always exercise restraint in conflict or crisis situation.
“Therefore, we do not call for revolution in the current democratic setting in Nigeria. We call on all well-meaning individuals, groups, state and non-state actors to see this unwarranted and surreptitious call as a serious threat to our nascent democracy.”