‘This Has Never Happened Before’, Falana Slams DSS
Rein in your wild dogs, Soyinka tells Buhari
Invading the court premises to re arrest Sowore will go down as one of the low points of this government - Ogundamisi
I remain unshaken, unbroken and unbowed – Sowore
The DSS operatives also chased away the presiding judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu while also brutalising a journalist with a popular television station.
There is currently an ongoing standoff inside the court premises as the DSS operatives are refusing to allow Sowore and his lawyers come out of the place.
The DSS under President Muhammadu Buhari should stop acting lawless and allow the court determine Sowore's case. This is getting really ridiculous.
Heavily-armed DSS Operatives Chase Falana As He Drives Sowore, Bakare Out Of Court Premises
The move follows the disruption of court proceedings by DSS operatives during the commencement of trial in a case brought against Sowore and Bakare.
12:20 Nigerian time;
UPDATE: "DSS finally re-arrests Sowore after chasing judge out of the courtroom with a gun. He has been taken to the headquarters of the DSS".
Nigeria's democracy is fading away under President @MBuhari,a 'born again democrat'.
The Lead Counsel and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has criticised the Department of State Security Services (DSS) for disrupting court proceedings and eventually rearresting his clients, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare at a Federal High Court in Abuja, barely 24 hours after their release from DSS custody.
Mr. Sowore and his co-accused, Mr. Bakare, were released on Thursday night, following an order given by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu who gave the security agency a 24-hour ultimatum to effect the bail order earlier issued.
Mr. Falana who spoke to Channels Television on Friday stressed that the DSS had said they were inviting the duo for questioning at their office to answer a few questions on fresh charges, but are yet to disclose what they are.
“The atmosphere was very rowdy, but I insisted that the arrest could not be carried out within the precinct of the court. He was going to be arrested outside the premises but there was a crowd that resisted the arrest, but I appealed to everybody and asked Sowore to jump into my car and so we drove to the office of the SSS because they said he will just answer a few questions, but now he is being detained.
“We are going to take steps under the law by asking for his release again since they are claiming this is a fresh arrest.
“Nobody has disclosed yet what his charges are; he couldn’t have committed any other offence because he has been detained for the past four months unless the SSS wants to tell the whole world that he committed this fresh offence while in their custody,” he stressed.
He also narrated the build-up to Sowore and Bakare’s rearrest, expressing dismay at the actions of the DSS.
“This morning, the SSS lawyers and the lawyers of the Attorney-General reported to the court that the order of the court had been complied with and I confirmed because our clients were released last night.
“As soon as the court adjourned the matter to February next year, the SSS operatives pounced on the court, disrupted proceeding and then attempted to arrest our clients even in the web of the court, that was extremely embarrassing because it has never happened in Nigeria where you enter a court to arrest anybody, even an alleged coup plotter.”
Mr. Sowore and Mr Bakare who were released at about 7:15 pm on Thursday are facing seven counts bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, money laundering and cybercrimes, amongst others.
They were arrested on August 3, days before a planned #RevolutionNow protest against “bad governance” in the country.
‘This Has Never Happened Before’, Falana Slams DSS
The Lead Counsel and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has criticised the Department of State Security Services (DSS) for disrupting court proceedings and eventually rearresting his clients, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare at a Federal High Court in Abuja, barely 24 hours after their release from DSS custody.
Mr. Sowore and his co-accused, Mr. Bakare, were released on Thursday night, following an order given by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu who gave the security agency a 24-hour ultimatum to effect the bail order earlier issued.
Mr. Falana who spoke to Channels Television on Friday stressed that the DSS had said they were inviting the duo for questioning at their office to answer a few questions on fresh charges, but are yet to disclose what they are.
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| Mandate, Falana and Sowore |
“We are going to take steps under the law by asking for his release again since they are claiming this is a fresh arrest.
“Nobody has disclosed yet what his charges are; he couldn’t have committed any other offence because he has been detained for the past four months unless the SSS wants to tell the whole world that he committed this fresh offence while in their custody,” he stressed.
He also narrated the build-up to Sowore and Bakare’s rearrest, expressing dismay at the actions of the DSS.
“This morning, the SSS lawyers and the lawyers of the Attorney-General reported to the court that the order of the court had been complied with and I confirmed because our clients were released last night.
“As soon as the court adjourned the matter to February next year, the SSS operatives pounced on the court, disrupted proceeding and then attempted to arrest our clients even in the web of the court, that was extremely embarrassing because it has never happened in Nigeria where you enter a court to arrest anybody, even an alleged coup plotter.”
Mr. Sowore and Mr Bakare who were released at about 7:15 pm on Thursday are facing seven counts bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, money laundering and cybercrimes, amongst others.
They were arrested on August 3, days before a planned #RevolutionNow protest against “bad governance” in the country.
Rein in your wild dogs, Soyinka tells Buhari
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday likened the action of the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), which invaded the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja to re-arrest the Revolution Now Convener, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare, to that of wild dogs.
Reacting in a statement to the action taken by the DSS operatives, Soyinka said it reminded him of a video of a pack of African wild dogs he watched some years ago, hunting and bringing down and devouring an animal in the antelope family.
The literary giant said it had become imperative and urgent to send a message to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to rein in his wild dogs of disobedience and, for a start, get a trainer to teach them some basic court manners.
He said: A few years ago, I watched the video of a pack of the famed African wild dogs hunt, eventually bring down, and proceed to devour a quarry. It was an impala, antelope family.
“The pack isolated the most vulnerable looking member of the herd – it was pregnant – pursued it, until it fled to a waterhole which, for such animals, is the nearest thing to a sanctuary.
“A few minutes ago, almost as it was happening, I watched the video of a pack of the DSS bring down, and fight over their unarmed, totally defenceless quarry within the sanctuary of a court of law. I found little or no difference between the two scenarios, except that the former, the wild dogs, exhibited more civilised table manners than the DSS in court manners.
“Only yesterday, in my commentary on the ongoing Sowore saga, I pointed out the near perfect similarity between plain crude thuggery and the current rage of court disobedience. Little did I suspect that the state children of disobedience would aspire to the level of the African wild dogs on a pack hunt.
“I apologise for underestimating the DSS capacity for the unthinkable. I reiterate the nation’s concern, indeed alarm, about the escalating degradation of the judiciary through multiple means, of which disobedience of court orders is fast becoming the norm.
“May I remind this government that disobedience calls to disobedience, and that disobedience of the orders of the constitutional repository of the moral authority of arbitration – the judiciary – can only lead eventually to a people’s disregard of the authority of other arms of civil society, a state of desperation that is known, recognized and accepted as – civil disobedience.
“It is so obvious – state disobedience leads eventually to civil disobedience, piecemeal or through a collective withdrawal of recognition of other structures of authority. That way leads to chaos but – who set it in motion? As is often the case, the state, unquestionably. Such a state bears full responsibility for the ensuing social condition known as anomie.
“It has become imperative and urgent to send this message to President-General Buhari: Rein in your wild dogs of disobedience. And for a start, get a trainer to teach them some basic court manners!”
Invading the court premises to re arrest Sowore will go down as one of the low points of this government - Ogundamisi
Kayode Ogundamisi wrote:
Dear President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo. Invading the court premises to re arrest Sowore will go down as one of the low points of this government, it is an embarrassment to those of us who support the government but ultimately a display of misuse of power and lawlessness, to the few sane people in government, it is your duty to protest from within. It's either you have 5th columnist within the government or the government itself care less about the rule of law. #FreeSowore and others now. Kayode Ogundamisi
More Nigerians are reacting to the illegality of the DSS in the court of legality:
@Omojuwa wrote: Forget your political affiliation, what happened to Sowore today is an attack on your freedom and dignity as a Nigerian citizen. It should never happen. It is a disgrace on the Nigerian government and it should never be allowed to stand! #FreeSoworeNow #FreeSoworeAlready !
I remain unshaken, unbroken and unbowed – Sowore
Sowore said they were unaware of any fresh charges and the attempt was a sign of a tyranny of the Federal Government.
He said: “We had concluded the process, and when we were leaving, one of the SSS officers came to me and said we had to come with them, and I said we were still in court and we had been granted bail.
“It is not even 24 hours yet. Why can’t you wait? Of course, all hell was let loose. They pulled out their guns within the courts, put me in a chokehold and tried to kill me inside the court.
“If it was not for these Nigerians who surrounded me, I would probably be dead.
“We are not aware of why they are arresting us again. I left them yesterday. I have been there for 126 days.
“They did not tell me if they were new charges, because these charges that they filed, they could not sustain it.
“We have been hearing that they did not want me to come out but for Nigerians who massively engaged within and outside the social media circle to ensure justice is done.
“What people are saying is that we have a right to live in this country. We have a right to speak freely and associate, and we have demonstrated that by coming to court.
“The claim that I would run away if I was granted bail, I was granted bail last night, and I came here voluntarily, accompanied by my lawyer. When we even got outside, they had their own protesters, and I said that is the beauty of democracy.
“Nigerians, at this point, it is important to let you know that there is no reason to be afraid. The most powerful tool in the hands of oppressors is fear mongering. To scare people to thinking if we do this to Sowore, nobody else would ever challenge government.
“I am not new to this. I was a student leader in the 90s. I fought against military rule. I fought against successive military and civilian leaders in this country who have tried to trample on the rights and violate the integrity and dignity of our people and even their own constitution. The constitution they drafted ad swore to uphold. I have never been afraid.
“This would require a lot of sacrifice. We have shown the other side of government you didn’t know; that these guys have no pretension for democracy or respect for human rights.
“And I am speaking to the rest of the world as well that it is time to focus on Nigeria. Nigeria has slipped back into total fascism and we have a tyrannical regime fully entrenched.
“Even under the military, nobody ever entered a courtroom and tried to shoot a suspect and scare a judge. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that it is happening at the Federal High Court level.
“The lawlessness we have tolerated over time has led us to the abyss that we are in today. Someone has to do it and I have volunteered to do it. And many of you have volunteered to join me and I am inspired by all of you.
“The heroes of today’s temporary relief that I have to speak with you are the men surrounding me, some of them lawyers, who took off their gowns and wigs and said no tyranny inside the sacred confines of a federal high court.
“So that is the latest for now. I remain unshaken, unbroken and unbowed,” Sowore said.
After a stand-off of almost two hours, Sowore and Bakare were led out of the courtroom by his lawyers, led by Falana, as well as his supporters downstairs to the entrance of the court where armed DSS personnel were waiting.
Falana, who demanded to know the leader of the DSS team, told them they could not arrest within the premises of the court.
They moved towards the gate of the court, and after some arguments, Sowore and Bakare were eventually taken to the DSS facility in Falana’s car, driven by a DSS personnel and escorted by several other DSS trucks.
@joy_jinduu: Effecting an arrest in the courtroom is an affirmation of the tyrannical state of Nigeria. Our democracy is but a decorative piece disguised in a despotic fashion. #FreeSoworeAlready
@AgwuBabeJustice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja is still looking for her shoes after escaping the guns of the DSS thugs that invaded her courtroom. If you find her shoe please return it to the nearest High Court and NOT police station. #ThisIsNigeria #FreeSoworeAlready
@M_Abba_The worrisome thing about the rearrest of Sowore is that; The DSS are yet to release their reason for rearresting him Undoubtedly, the rearrest of Sowore was an order from the presidency
@Mesh007 There can't be a democracy without the rule of law. The desecration of the Judiciary by Govt and its agencies is retrogressive and primitive. As democracy withers, we are seeing the rise of 'Quasi-military' system in Nigeria. #FreeSowore #FreeSoworeNow #FreeSoworeAlready
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