The Federal Government has filed a seven-count charge of treasonable felony and money laundering against Omoyele Sowore, publisher
Sahara Reporters and a presidential candidate of African Action Congress in the February 2019 presidential election.
Aminu Alilu, Chief State Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecution, who signed the charges on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN, filed them on the 20th of September which was a day before the expiration of the detention order of the Federal High Court in Abuja allowing the Department of State Service (DSS) to keep the activist for 45 days.
The prosecution has accused Sowore in the charge prefered against him and his co-defendant, of conspiracy to commit treasonable felony in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act by allegedly staging “a revolution campaign on September 5, 2019 aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
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The prosecution is also accusing both defendants of committing the actual offence of treasonable felony contrary to section, 4(1)(c) of the Criminal Code Act, by using the platform of Coalition for Revolution, in August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, to stagedthe #RevolutionNow protest allegedly aimed at removing the President.
The government further accuses Sowore of cybercrime offences in violation of section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, by “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It also accused Sowore of money laundering offences contrary to section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 by allegedly transferring by means of swift wire, various sums of money from his United Bank of Africa Plc account with number 3002246104 into Sahara Reporters Media Foundation’s account with Guaranty Trust Bank in order to conceal the origin of the funds.
The sums of money he was said to have been involved in the alleged transfers were the sums of $19,975 on April 2, 2019; $20,475 on May 21, 2019, $16,975 on June 27, 2019, and another $16,975 on July 16, 2019.
Listed as exhibits to be relied upon by the prosection are Sowore’s written statement, transcripts of his statement, video recordings, audio recordings, statements of bank accounts, media publication and “any other exhibits the prosecution may later supply in its additional proof of evidence”.
The prosecution witnesses include, Paul Clement, Moses Amadi, Cyril Odawn, Paul Okafor, UBA employee, GTB employee and “any other witness or witnesses to be supplied later in the additional proof of
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on the ex parte application filed by DSS, on August 8, issued a detention order against Omoyele Sowore.
The security agency had alleged that Sowore, planned to topple the President Muhammadu Buhari government, through the protest, which he tagged #RevolutionNow.
Sowore however denied the coup allegations, insisting that he only mobilised Nigerians to protest against bad governance and other vices.©