Femi Falana, SAN, human rights lawyer and counsel to Omoyele Sowore, has disclosed that the federal government is conniving to charge his clients with terrorism.
Falana in a statement on Monday, has revealed that the Federal government, having discovered it’s failure to prove a case of Treasonable Fenoly and Cyberstalking, has decided to change the charges to terrorism which will therefore give no room for bail.
The convener of the #RevolitionNow protest had been detained for several months by the Department of State Service, DSS.
He was released on bail after an ultimatum was issued by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu but thereafter rearrested in less than 24 hours inside the court premises.
The disdain act of the DSS has been considered a desperate move of the Buhari led administration to silence critics and a great dishonor to the Judiciary.
Falana said:
“In comparing Sowore with the Boko Haram sect the presidency said, ‘Nigeria is already dealing with an insurgency that has left millions of people displaced and desperate in the north-east region of country. The Boko Haram militants, who are behind the violence, also fancy themselves to be fighting for some sort of revolution.’ The link is a justification for the planned arraignment of Sowore for terrorism,” Falana said.
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“Since it is common knowledge that Sowore and Bakare are not among the well known merchants of violence and coup plotters that had successfully but illegally removed democratically elected governments in Nigeria we are not going to join issues with Mr. Garba Shehu over the highly contemptuous statements credited to him. But as a senior journalist Mr Shehu ought to have known that it is highly unprofessional to subject a man who is held incommunicado to scurrilous attacks in the media. We are however convinced that Sowore will have a right of reply once the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people are restored.”
“It is therefore embarrassing that the federal government which has found it difficult to prove its case in a competent court of law has resorted to the media trial of Sowore…while the charge of treasonable felony is allowed to hang menacingly on the heads of our clients,” he said.
“We are however not going to be tempted to join issues with the Presidency over a case that is pending before a properly constituted court of law. If the Presidency is so sure that our clients committed treasonable felony or any other offence whatsoever it should keep its powder dry and advise the Prosecution to commence the trial without any further delay.”