The letter requested the DSS DG to “promptly forward all the case files” in respect of Omoyele Sowore to the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, SAN, has ordered the Department of State Service, DSS,
to hands-off the prosecution of detained pro-democracy activist and
convener of RevolutionNow Protest, Omoyele Sowore.
The AGF, in a statement that was made available to newsmen by his media
aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, on Friday, said he directed the security agency
to forward the case file in respect of charge pending against Sowore
before the Federal High Court in Abuja, to his office.
Malami further directed the Federal Ministry of Justice to immediately
takeover the prosecution of all charges against Sowore, in line with the
provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999
Constitution (as amended).
He said the Federal Government was committed to respecting the sanctity
of the rule of law, protecting the virtues of human rights and ensuring
speedy dispensation of justice in the matter.
“As part of deliberate efforts to probe emerging issues related to
the recent imbroglio related to Omoyele Sowore’s case and for speedy
dispensation of justice, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice
has requested that the case file in respect of charge pending before the
Federal High Court, Abuja be forwarded to his office”.
In the statement Dr. Gwandu said the request for the transfer of the
case to the office of the AGF was contained in a letter dated December
11, 2019 and addressed to the Director General of the DSS, National
Headquarters, Abuja.
The Solicitor General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary,
Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, who signed the letter,
refereed to an initial letter the DSS wrote to the AGF on September 9,
2019.
According to the statement, Apata’s letter to the secret service, read: “The
Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
upon a further review of the case has directed the immediate takeover of
the prosecution of all charges in respect of Omoyole Sowore by the
Federal Ministry of Justice in line with the provisions of Sections
150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”.
It said the letter requested the DSS DG to “promptly forward all the
case files” in respect of Omoyele Sowore to the office of the AGF and
Minister of Justice.
Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of African Action Congress,
AAC, in the last general election and publisher of an online news
outlet, Sahara Reporters, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare (aka
Mandate), are answering to a seven-count treasonable felony charge.
They were in the charge marked FHC/ ABJ/CR/235/2019, accused of
conspiracy, money laundering, cyber-stalking and insulting President
Buhari.
Though the defendants perfected all the conditions the court gave for
their bail, the DSS declined to release them, claiming that no surety
came forward to receive them.
Following a 24 hours ultimatum trial Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu issued for
their release, DSS, temporarily freed them from detention last week
Thursday.
The agency subsequently re-arrested Sowore the next day within the court
premises after his trial was adjourned till February 11, 2020.
Circumstances that surrounded the manner in which he was re-arrested,
which involved the invasion of the courtroom by alleged operatives of
the DSS, has continued to attract condemnation for the security agency.
Though DSS claimed that its officers were not involved in the court
invasion saga, insisting that they waited and arrested Sowore outside
the court premises, however, counsel to the defendants, Mr. Femi Falana,
SAN, insisted that the agency was involved.
Malami earlier disclosed that the Federal Government had commenced its investigation into the matter.
Similarly, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, on Thursday, called
for the setting up of an Independent Judicial Commission of Enquiry to
unravel those behind the courtroom invasion.
Sowore was arrested on August 2 in Lagos and later transferred to Abuja
for prosecution, after he called for a nationwide protest against
perceived maladministration by the President Buhari-led government.
Despite his arrest, the protest held in various parts of the country on
August 5, with security operatives clamping down on some of the
participants.
Source: Vanguard
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