Less than 24-hour after an ultimatum issued by an Abuja based Federal High Court to release the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, the Department of State Services (DSS) has complied with the order.
The court also awarded N100,000 against the prosecution for failing to comply with court orders requesting the release of Sowore and for not serving the defense counsel with necessary documents early enough.
The penalty, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said, must be paid to the defendants before the commencement of trial. The judge consequently adjourned hearing till Friday.
“This matter cannot go on,” Justice Ojukwu said. “There is no way it can go on, and the adjournment is at your instance.”
Sowore has been in DSS detention for 124 days. Sowore was arrested by the DSS Saturday, August 3 for planning a nationwide protest tagged #RevolutionNow.
The Nigerian government filed additional charges against Sowore on Friday, September 20, a day before the completion of the initial 45 days the court allowed the DSS to keep him in custody.
Sowore’s lawyer Femi Falana in an earlier affidavit told the court “that the applicant (Sowore) herein has never been charged with any criminal offence whatsoever” and should be granted bail.
He explained “that the Nigeria police also conducted investigation on the matter and made its findings public” and did not incriminate Sowore as alleged.
Two previous bail applications challenging his detention by DSS were rejected by the court.
Sowore was charged on offences of treasonable felony, money laundering, terrorism and plots to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.
