United States Senator Bob Menendez representing New Jersey has made an open declaration saying there will be dire consequences should any harm come upon their citizen Omoyele Sowore following his violent re-arrest by DSS operatives in the court.
Senator Menendez made this known during a Press briefing that also included Sowore’s wife Ope Sowore.
The Sahara Reporters Publisher who has been in DSS custody since August 3, 2019 for planning a protest to condemn President Buhari’s administration was released on bail on Dec 5, 2019.
However, barely 12 hours after his release, Sowore was violently re-arrested after the DSS operatives invaded the court and chased the presiding judge using several weapons including guns.
Senator Menendez who was appalled at such blatant disregard for the law, was forced to call a Press briefing after seeing a video of the harassed Sahara Reporters Publisher making rounds on social media.
“I am outraged by the blatant harassment of Omoyele Sowore, an activist and journalist whose only crime appears to be exercising his right to free expression.
“In a concerted effort to secure his release on behalf of the Sowore family living in New Jersey, my office has been working closely with the State Department as Mr Sowore’s case languished following his arbitrary arrest back in August.
“While we continue to seek immediate answers about Sowore’s treatment and conditions in jail, I will be further engaging directly with US Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard, in Abuja to raise this case at the highest levels of the Nigerian Government so that the Buhari administration gets the message that we are committed to defending Sowore’s rights and securing his release.
“This blatant miscarriage of justice is symptomatic of closing political and media space in Nigeria.”
His wife, Opeyemi who joined in the Press briefing expressed her fears as a wife and mother.
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Ope said she fears for her husband’s life. She disclosed the unfortunate incident had no precedence in the history of Nigeria.
According to her, it was unheard of, that masked security operatives would march into a court session just to seize an unarmed citizen using brute force.
The distressed Ope also revealed, she was in a confused situation not knowing how to break the news to the children who have been deprived of their father’s presence for the past 125 days. The children were already excited to see their “daddy” after his release the previous day.
Now her dilemma remains how to tell the children why and how their father was re-arrested, at the same time, disclose he will not be spending the festive season with them.
Menendez concluded his speech by saying Nigeria would face grave consequences if any harm comes upon Omoyele Sowore who is also a citizen of the United states of America.
“There will be consequences if any harm comes to Mr. Sowore. There will be consequences with our relationship with Nigeria”
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