A coalition of human rights group, Coalition of African Human Rights Network, has urged the federal government to revoke the bail condition granted the detained publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, for allegedly breaching the conditions of the bail granted him following his earlier arrest and detention by the Department of State Service (DSS) for alleged treason.
The group said Sowore, who was arrested on New Year’s eve by the police for engaging in an illegal street procession, broke the law, given that a court of competent jurisdiction had earlier warned him against engaging in such conduct.
Recall that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court on October 4, 2019, granted bail of N100 million to Mr Sowore following his arrest and detention by the Department of State Service in the #RevolutionNow Protest he called.
Ojukwu had also said Mr Sowore should produce two sureties in like sum. Of the N100 million, N50 million was to be deposited with the court while the balance was to be put in place should Mr Sowore jump bail.
However, in a statement made available to Blueprint on Saturday, signed by its Nigeria representative, Barr. (Mrs) Funke Ajibola and the Director, Public Affairs, Dr (Mrs) Fatima Hassan, the group claimed that Mr Sowore, having participated in a street procession, intended to incite the public against constituted authorities, breached the bail condition set out and appealed to the court not only to immediately revoke the bail condition, but also have the detained activist face the law for his illegal action.
The group commended the police for rising to the occasion by promptly arresting Mr Sowore, saying the action saved the country from witnessing another wave of protest against the government similar to those of #RevolutionNow and #EndSARS, which it described as catastrophic to the country.
According to the coalition, considering the monumental losses that usually occasion the hijack of any protest by hoodlums, and its consequential effects on the socio-economic life of the nation, only “unpatriotic elements” like Sowore would support, let alone promote another wave of protests, which end cannot be predicted.
The statement reads: “We advise politicians, whose quest for power was not successful, to wait and test their popularity in the next round of elections, rather than seek to instigate unrest, to satisfy their selfish ends, and those of their pay-masters.
“We recall with sadness that Mr Sowore, in continuation of his several failed attempts to incite the populace and effect a regime change, engaged in another street procession, this time,on a day set aside to mark our entry into a new year. This is dishonourable.
“We are, however, not surprised at Mr Sowore’s insistence on protest given his antecedent. We recall that he had called on revolution against the present federal administration, leading to his arrest and detention. And given his ignoble role in this act, we are not surprised at what he is driving at. It is in this regard that we wish to strongly appeal to the security agencies to see Mr Sowore as a security threat and treat him as one.
“By this, we are not only calling on the government to revoke the bail granted him but also make him face the full wrath of the Nigerian law for flouting the conditions attached it.”
The group added: “It may be further recalled that, owing to the entrenchment of democratic tenets under the current administration, which adheres strictly to the principle of rule of law, institutional independence and non-interference, the court graciously granted Sowore bail, with conditions attached therein. One of such conditions, was a restriction on addressing public gatherings, until the criminal trial was concluded.
“In his characteristic disobedience to law and properly constituted authorities, Sowore has continued to observe that aspect of his bail conditions in the breach. We recall that after his bail, Mr Sowore desperately attempted to relaunch the #EndSARS protests, which effects have been so hard on the country.
“These desperate attempts by Mr Omoyele Sowore to incite the general public against President Buhari and his government just to feather his inordinate ambition is unacceptable. We are thereby calling on not just the police but also other security agencies to see Mr Sowore as agent of destabilisation and treat him as one.”
