Emerging reports have claimed that spokesperson for the Department of State Services (DSS), Peter Afunanya, has insulted a Nigerian professor, James Segun, calling him bastard for inquiring about the continued detention of rights activist, Omoyele Sowore.
The DSS spokesperson could be heard, verbally insulting the professor in the 41-second telephone conversation.
Read the statement below:
Afunanya: Hello, who this?
Caller: This is Prof James Segun from Campaign for Democracy. I want to find out more about Sowore’s issue.
Afunanya: You are a bastard, get off my phone, idiot.
Caller: Hello…
Afunanya: Get off my phone, you are a bastard, get off my phone, idiot.
Caller: Why can’t you respond in a civil manner?
Afunanya: You are a bastard, don’t call my line again.
Listen to the audio below:
Earlier, The Herald gathered that Femi Falana, the lead counsel of #RevolutionNow Convener Omoyele Sowore, declared that the DSS was not authorized to verify the online publisher’s sureties.
Sowore has been in detention since August 3 when he was arrested on the eve of his planned nationwide protest. A federal high court in Abuja granted the online publisher bail but the DSS refused to release him.
Falana said: “Pursuant to the verification of the sureties of Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare by the Federal High Court, the trial judge, the Honourable Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu made an order on November 6, 2019 for the release of the defendants from the custody of the DSS.
“The Court Order has not authorised the DSS to approve the sureties before releasing Sowore and Bakare from custody.”
Meanwhile, The Herald reported that the DSS on Tuesday insisted that Sowore would only be released upon proper documentation of persons willing to bail him.
Dr Peter Afunanya, the Public Relations Officer of the Service disclosed this at a media conference in Abuja.
He said the service was prepared to release Sowore in line with the bail granted him by the court but waiting for persons to take his delivery through proper documentation.