Femi Falani, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and counsel to detained #Revvolutionnow leader, Omoleye Soworeon Wednesday condemned the invasion of the premises of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and Sahara reporters where a planned protest calling for the release of the publisher of Sahara reporters was scheduled to take place.
In a statement on Wednesday, Falana decried a situation where Innocent citizens are being harassed by a government that is busy negotiating with terrorists and bandits.
He said, “Contrary to the order of the federal high court that Mr. Sowore be detained for 45 days, the State Security Service has incarcerated him for 47 days.”
“Last week, the federal high court turned down the application for the renewal of its order for the detention of Messrs Agba Jalingo and Ekanem Ekpo for 14 days. In spite of the expiration of the detention order of the two journalists, they are being held by the Police in Cross River. Mr. Abayomi Olawale who was arrested on August 5, 2019, has been detained for 45 days by the State Security Service without any court order whatsoever. These detainees and scores of others languishing in illegal custody ought to be released forthwith.
“While congratulating the organisers of the symposium for successfully holding the programme at another venue, the harassment of law-abiding citizens cannot be tolerated under a regime that is busy negotiating with bandits and terrorists, bribing them with public funds and granting them amnesty.”
Sowore was arrested in August by the Department of State Services (DSS) who accused him of threatening the public peace with his planned nationwide #RevolutionNow protest.
A high court later granted the DSS an order to detain him for 45 days.
An attempt by the secret police to extend the order was rejected by the court last week.
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