…as court slates Thursday for ruling
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA –
The Department of State Service, DSS, on Tuesday, approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, seeking leave to detain the convener of the RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, for 90 days. The security agency prayed the court to permit it to further retain Sowore in custody pending conclusion of its investigations. Omoyele Sowore It will be recalled that the activist and publisher was arrested by DSS operatives in his hotel room in Lagos over the weekend following his call for nationwide revolutionary protest against alleged maladministration by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government. The protest which held in various parts of the country on Monday met stiff resistance from security agencies, with some of the protesters arrested and subsequently arraigned in Lagos. The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu had warned that participants in the protest would be deemed to have committed acts of treasonable felony. Meanwhile, the DSS, in an application it brought before Justice Taiwo Taiwo who is sitting as a vacation Judge, said it would need Sowore in custody till all its investigations are concluded. The exparte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 915/19, sought an order of the court to detain Sowore beyond the statutorily allowed 48 hours after his arrest. Sowore who was the candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the February 23 presidential election, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday and moved to Abuja on Sunday. DSS told the court that he was arrested for spearheading the #RevolutionNow protest. Nation newspaper correspondent regains freedom(Opens in a new browser tab) Meanwhile, after he had listened to the motion that was moved by counsel to the DSS, Mr. G. O. Abadua, Justice Taiwo said he would need time to watch video clips that was attached to the motion. Consequently, he adjourned ruling on the request till Thursday.
