Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has berated the Department of State Services (DSS) for arresting Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of online news medium, Sahara Reporters.
Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the February 2019 General Election, was arrested by operatives of the DSS at his home on Saturday.
Describing the development as “kidnapping in the guise of arrest,” Atiku said, “freedom of speech is not only constitutionally guaranteed, it is the substructure of our democracy.”
He stated his view via his verified Twitter handle @atiku on Saturday.
Freedom of speech is not only constitutionally guaranteed, it is the substructure of our democracy. These kidnappings in the guise of arrests stands condemned. -AA
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 3, 2019
Sowore had planned to spearhead nationwide protests against the Federal Government, tagged ‘#RevolutionNow Days of Rage,’ scheduled for Monday, August 5, 2019.
It was also learnt that, on July 31, Sowore was reportedly barred from delivering a lecture as the guest speaker at an event organised by the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, University of Lagos chapter.
Hi online medium, Sahara Reporters, reported that, “The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, UNILAG branch, had invited Sowore as a guest speaker for an academic counselling seminar set to hold at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium.
“He was, however, barred abruptly from speaking by the group in a ‘regrettable correspondence…’”