ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore,.

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore,.

Why Sowore has not been freed despite court order – Lawyer

byEvelyn Okakwu
September 25, 2019
3 min read

A lawyer representing the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has given a reason why Mr Sowore is yet to be free, despite being granted bail by a court on Tuesday.

Mr Sowore’s lawyer, Samuel Ogala, explained during a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Wednesday morning that Mr Sowore is expected to be released on Wednesday, after the defence team signs some legal documents.

“Some documents have to first be signed. We have obtained the court order, so today the necessary documents would be signed before his release,” said Mr Ogala, a lawyer in Femi Falana’s chambers.

The order for Sowore’s release

PREMIUM TIMES reported how a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Taiwo Taiwo, Tuesday ordered the immediate release of Mr Sowore after the prosecution informed the court of its completion of investigations into the allegations against the activist.

The judge said Mr Sowore’s lead counsel, Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria, would be responsible for ensuring he appears in court for trial.

“It is therefore ordered that the respondent be released forthwith. But he must deposit his international passport with this court within 48 hours of this order.

“Further, the respondent shall be released to Femi Falana forthwith by the applicant, that is the State Security Service (SSS).

“Femi Falana shall ensure that the respondent is produced for his formal arraignment whenever he or the respondent is notified,” Mr Taiwo said according to the court papers seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

RelatedNews

Again, Falana denies buying property from EFCC

Insecurity: Step down or be impeached, coalition tells Buhari

UPDATED: Court orders CBN to unfreeze 20 #EndSARS protesters bank accounts

TRENDING: Again, Nigerians plan #OccupyLekkiTollGate

Many Nigerians have since expressed doubt that the SSS and the Buhari adinstration would obey the court order, following the disobedience of earlier ones granted ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Sowore’s detention order

Mr Sowore was arrested on August 3 by the SSS for planning a revolutionary protest popularised with the hashtag #RevolutionNow.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

The protest took place on August 5, amidst heavy clampdown of protesters and journalists by security agents.

The SSS accused Mr Sowore of plotting to cause chaos and overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari with the protest. The agency obtained an order for his initial detention for a few days.

At the expiration of that order, the SSS again obtained another directive to detain Mr Sowore for an additional 45 days.

That order, given on August 8, elapsed on September 21.

On September 20, the Nigerian government filed a seven-count charge against Mr Sowore and a co-accused, Olawale Bakare.

They were accused of cyberstalking, treasonable felony, fraud and insulting the president in a set of charges that mostly involved Mr Sowore. Mr Bakare’s name appeared only in count one according to the charge sheet.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr Sowore was also accused of disseminating information which the prosecution tagged “insulting, causing hatred and enmity” against the person of President Buhari.

Arguments on Sowore’s bail

On Tuesday, the government withdrew an application seeking the further detention of Mr Sowore due to the facts contained in its information suggesting an end to the investigation.

Despite the withdrawal, the prosecution lawyer, G. A. Agbadua, asked the court to “determine in the interest of national security” whether Mr Sowore ought to be released.

Mr Agbadua told the court that the allegations against Mr Sowore attracted a capital punishment, a claim that was refuted by Mr Falana.

Mr Falana also urged the court to take judicial notice of the fact that there was no legal basis for the detention of Mr Sowore and added that previous court decisions had allowed the bail of persons accused of treasonable felony including the late politician, Moshood Abiola.

Mr Falana also reminded Mr Taiwo of a time in the past when he (Falana) was defended by Mr Taiwo following the same allegation of treasonable felony while the judge was still a private legal practitioner. Mr Falana said they were granted bail at that time without stress by the court.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...



JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (9)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Mo Ibrahim Foundation announces launch of ‘governance report’

Next Post

Global Investigation: Pangolins: Trafficked to Extinction

Evelyn Okakwu

Evelyn Okakwu

More News

Governor Babagana Zulum with children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) [PHOTO CREDIT: @GovBorno]

Borno Govt uncovers fake IDPs in Maiduguri

March 7, 2021
Justice Sylvester Ngwuta

Supreme Court judge, Ngwuta, is dead

March 7, 2021
ARMY: Nigerian Soldiers (Army) on duty. [PHOTO CREDIT: The Guardian]

Travellers stranded on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway as Boko Haram attacks military base

March 7, 2021
former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku. [Photo credit: Qed.ng]

Anyaoku, Sanusi, Soyinka, Sultan, others discuss saving Nigeria from collapse

March 7, 2021
President Buhari at Security council meeting. [PHOTO CREDIT: Presidency Twitter handle]

Review: What Buhari, Osinbajo did last week

March 7, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari have taken the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. [PHOTO: Presidency]

Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination, other health stories published last week

March 7, 2021
Next Post
Wildlife experts estimate that nine out of 10 illegally trafficked pangolins are not detected by authorities. Credit: Tsai Yao-Cheng / The Reporter

Global Investigation: Pangolins: Trafficked to Extinction

Cross section of participants at the hall

Goalkeepers Award: Gates Foundation honours changemakers

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,630,166 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.