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Tag: sowore

  • X snubs DSS request to delete Sowore’s post on Tinubu

    X snubs DSS request to delete Sowore’s post on Tinubu

    Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has revealed that social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has declined a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to delete one of his posts criticising President Bola Tinubu.

    In a post on Sunday, Sowore said X officially notified him of the request from the DSS.

    His words: “This morning, X officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my tweet on Tinubu. One option I will not be taking is deleting that tweet. Thank you, X.”

    The notice from X, which Sowore shared, confirmed that the DSS had asked the platform to take action on his account, @YeleSowore, over a post said to contravene Nigerian law.

    X said it had not taken any action on the reported content and emphasised its policy of informing users when such legal requests are made.

    “As X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account,” the platform stated.

  • Police set to file criminal charges against Sowore in Court

    Police set to file criminal charges against Sowore in Court

    The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Saturday said charges against human rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore are criminal.

    NPF said Sowore will soon face them in a competent court.

    Police said he was arrested based on credible, corroborated allegations involving criminal offences such as forgery, cyberstalking, and other infractions currently under active investigation.

    The arrest, the police said, was effected in full compliance with extant legal provisions, and with strict adherence to constitutional safeguards, due process, and the rights of the suspect.

    The police also denied allegations of torturing Sowore following his recent arrest in Abuja.

    According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police emphasized that Sowore was granted bail within the 48-hour constitutional limit as stipulated in Section 35(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    He said Sowore had been informed of the charges against him and was expected to appear before a competent court in the coming days.

    Responding to viral images of Sowore wearing a bandage on his arm, the police described the narrative of torture as “false and grossly misleading.”

    The NPF said the bandage was part of Sowore’s belongings before his arrest, and was not a result of any injury sustained in police custody.

    Adejobi said; “To be clear, Mr. Sowore was released on bail well within the 48-hour constitutional window… He is fully aware of the nature of the allegations against him.

    “Equally false is the narrative suggesting that Mr. Sowore was tortured or subjected to any form of inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody”.

    The Police claimed that two separate medical examinations were offered to Mr. Sowore on August 7 and 8, conducted by teams led by the Medical Director of Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital and the Force Medical Officer, respectively.

    Adejobi said both offers were reportedly declined by the activist.

    “The record must show that the opportunity for independent medical verification was twice provided and twice rejected,” the Police added.

    The Force further stated that his continued detention was backed by a valid remand order from a court of competent jurisdiction, and warned against what it described as “sensationalism” by some civil society groups and media actors.

    The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the protection of human rights, respect for the rule of law, and the pursuit of justice without fear or favour. No individual regardless of their status, influence, or social media reach is above the law”.

    Adejobi said the Police will provide further updates as investigations continue.

  • HoR minority caucus wants police to release Sowore within 24hrs

    HoR minority caucus wants police to release Sowore within 24hrs

    The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the arrest of social activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the Nigerian Police Force, today, in a manner described as coercive, intimidating, and negates the NPF operational guidelines.

    Apparently peeved by this development the caucus asked the police to release the activist within 24 hours.

    This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the caucus leaders: Rep. O.K Chinda, Minority Leader , Rt. Hon. Dr. Ali Isa J.C, Minority Whip ,Rt. Hon. Aliyu Madaki , Deputy Minority Leader Rt. Hon. George Ozodinobi
    Deputy Minority Whip declaring that:

    “We believe that in a democracy, any act of brazenness, recklessness, abuse of office, and disrespect of the constitution by any government functionary or agency should be condemned in the strictest terms by all and sundry, particularly coming from the Police – “friend of the people.”

    “The Caucus wishes to reiterate that while it is not against the NPF carrying out its statutory responsibilities, it should be mindful of the provisions of Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) which emphasize respecting, and safeguarding the Rights of every citizen.

    “Further to this, the Caucus; being a responsible and responsive group in Nigeria’s legislature calls for the immediate release of Mr. Sowore not beyond 24 hours.

    ” Going forward, we strongly advise the NPF to ensure that all its operations and activities are tailored towards deepening democratic development in Nigeria.

    “We urge the Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF) to intervene and ensure that we operate in line with the rule of law.

  • Sowore narrates ordeal with NIS officers at MMA, says “my bag is still missing”

    Sowore narrates ordeal with NIS officers at MMA, says “my bag is still missing”

    …says he hopes it was not DSS that stole it

     

    The2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has disclosed that one of his bags is missing following his detention at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Recall Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist, was detained by men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on his arrival to Nigeria on Sunday.

    Narrating his ordeal with the NIS, Sowore stated that he has been on the watchlist of the Nigerian government since 1992 when he was in the university.

    “Well I am back home but it was because when I left in March and also in May I did make a promise that I’ll be back, that I’m not going anywhere from Nigeria.

    ” So it doesn’t matter what anybody tries to do and that is why when I was informed and I got a copy of their memo that I was declared wanted, it just made me feel very proud that I was once again upgraded by Nigerian government.

    “I’ve been on the watch list of Nigerian government since I was in the university in 1992, but I found out officially that I’ve been upgraded to the highest possible level.

    ” They have different grades. There are people who they watch just generally if you are leaving the country, they just try to figure out where you’re going, but the level that I’m on is a level in which whenever I arrive, I’m supposed to be accompanied, arrested, and detained and taken to the office of the DG of DSS. That’s the level that I am. I think it’s the highest level. It’s like the GCFR of the National Award for Troublemakers.

    When I arrived, they seized my passport. The immigration guys seized my passport when I presented my passport for processing. And then after I was standing around for a while, I asked them what’s the problem? They said there is some notation on my passport, that needs clarification from Abuja. And I said who is that? Who put the, of course I knew, and they said they’re going to make all kinds of calls, and then they asked me to sit down at the place.

    “I sat down beside them after a while. I went back to them and asked what’s going on and it’s been like 30 minutes at this point. And they said they’re still waiting for Abuja to clarify and then they took me to the office where I was briefly detained.

    “And then I tweeted before going into that office and some, ten minutes later they came and said, it’s been resolved. You can go. So I went to try and get my bag. Of course one of my bags was missing. I hope it’s not the DSS that stole it.

    “It’s missing but I’ve incidented it with the airline to look for it because the tracking on my phone from the airline shows that the bag arrived. So but like I said, I don’t want to, I hope they didn’t try to do a something stupid with my bag.”

  • BREAKING: DSS arrests Sowore at Lagos airport

    BREAKING: DSS arrests Sowore at Lagos airport

    The convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, upon his arrival in Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Sowore’s arrest may be connected to the 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest which was held across the country in August.

    Members of the Take It Back Movement and other activists had besieged the airport upon the arrival of the activist’s return to the country when the secret police struck.

    In a post via his X page, Sowore said his passport was also seized by the service.

    “I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me,” he wrote.

    “This is not un expected because i have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.

    “In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions salated for October 1st and beyond.”

  • Naira Mutilation: Sowore knocks EFCC over arrest, prosecution of Bobrisky

    Naira Mutilation: Sowore knocks EFCC over arrest, prosecution of Bobrisky

    Omoyele Sowore the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in 2019 and 2023 general elections,  has condemned the six-month jail term handed a controversial transgender, Idris Okuneye, a.k.a Bobrisky, over mutilation of the Naira currency

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, sentenced Bobrisky to 6 months in prison with no option of fine.

    According to the activist, the real destroyers of the nation’s economy and currency were yet to be jailed for their crimes against Nigeria.

    Sowore made his position known on the his Facebook page on Friday to say it’s left to be seen how EFCC will handle the cases involving ‘real financial criminals’ being prosecuted since 2007

    Sowore pointed out that the energy exerted into the prosecution and jailing of Bobrisky by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, showed that his real offence could not have been spraying Naira at a party.

    He wrote: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is gleefully announcing that Bobrisky has been jailed for six months without an option of a fine for “mutilating” the Nigerian currency, the Naira.

    “The real people destroying the economy, like former President Muhammadu Buhari, his former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his former personal secretary, Tunde Sabiu, and even the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, @Godwin Emefiele (who was just now granted an N50M bail in Lagos for an offence involving N50 billion), are yet to be jailed for the massive economic damage they did to ruin Nigeria.

    “The energy put into prosecuting and jailing a crossdresser, Bobrisky, shows his real offence could not have been spraying Naira at a party.

    “Let’s see how the EFCC handles cases involving real financial criminals, a long list being prosecuted since 2007-who destroyed the naira in the near future. #RevolutionNow.”

  • Court discharges Sowore, Bakare, orders DSS to release seized items

    Court discharges Sowore, Bakare, orders DSS to release seized items

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, discharged Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare of alleged treasonable felony preferred against them by the Attorney-General.of the Federation (AGF), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

    Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling after counsel for the AGF, A.R. Tahir, withdrew the charge, struck out the matter.

    “In view of the application made by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, this charge, between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Omoyele Sowore and another, is hereby struck out and the defendants discharged,” he declared.

    Justice Nwite also ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to immediately release three phones and the sum of N10, 000 seized from Sowore during his arrest.

    The judge equally ordered the DSS to release a phone belonging to Bakare and the sum of N1, 500 confiscated from him on his arrest.

    Justice Nwite further ordered that Sowore’s international passport be released to him forthwith.

    The orders followed an application by lawyer to Sowore and Bakare, Mr Femi Falana, SAN.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sowore and Bakare (1st and 3nd defendants) were earlier arraigned before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in 2019 before the matter was reassigned to Nwite after Ojukwu was transferred to another jurisdiction.

    The Federal Government had dragged them to court on allegations of treason and attempts to overthrow former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

    When the matter was called, Tahir, an Assistant Chief State Counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, informed the court that she had a notice of discontinuance of the case dated Feb. 14 but filed Feb. 15 before the court.

    Tahir, said the application was filed pursuant to the powers conferred on the AGF in Section 174(1), Paragraph C of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 107(1) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

    “We intend to discontinue the charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019 against the 1st and 2nd defendants,” she said

    The lawyer, who said that presently, hearing in the matter was yet to commence, urged the court to strike out the charge.

    But lawyer to Sowore and Bakare, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, disagreed with Tahir’s submission.

    Falana, who argued that contrary to her submission, the matter had been partly heard, prayed the court to dismiss the case.

    The senior lawyer reminded that before the matter was reassigned to Justice Nwite, the 1st prosecution witness had been taken before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.

    “My learner friend did not remember then. it was Mr Hassan Liman that was prosecuting the matter.

    “To that extent, the matter ought to be dismissed,” he added.

    Falana, however, commended the AGF and Minister if Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for taken the bold step.

    “I wish to appreciate the position of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbermi, SAN, for taken a hint from this honourable court because the court said in the last adjournment that this matter would be dismissed, even if heaven will fall.

    “Finally, we are compel to profess our sincere gratitude to this honourable court for the threat to have this matter dismissed for want of diligent prosecution,” he said.

    He said though he would not be asking for a cost on behalf of the defendants who had been standing trial since 2019, he, however, urged the court to make an order compelling the DSS to return Sowore’s three phones and the sum of N10, 000 seized from him during his arrest.

    Falana also prayed the court to order the DSS to release a phone belonging to Bakare and the sum of N1, 500 seized from him during arrest.

    The lawyer equally urged the court to make an order for the release of Sowore’s travel documents and the title deeds submitted to the court as conditions for his bail.

    Tahir, however, opposed Falana’s application for court to dismiss the case.

    She argued that it was in the court record that the matter started denovo (afresh) after it was reassigned.

    “My lord, the learner silk pointed out that there was a counsel handling the matter but it was not within my knowledge to confirm that,” she said

    She insisted that since the charge had not commenced before the court, the proper thing to do is for the charge to be struck out

    Delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite aligned with Tahir that the matter started afresh before him after reassignment.

    He held that in any criminal proceeding, the AGF had the power to discontinue a matter, even where a suspect had been committed to prison or was on bail.

    “Without much ado, the provision of ACJA is clear and unambiguous,” he said, while striking out the charge.

    The judge had, on Feb. 14, threatened to strike out the charge for lack of diligent prosecution.

  • FG terminates treason charge against Sowore

    FG terminates treason charge against Sowore

    The Federal Government has terminated the treasonable felony case instituted against politician and media owner, Omoyele Sowore.

    The decision to discontinue the trial was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja via a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 but filed the next day by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

    The notice  reads: “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019.

    Sowore and Bakare were arraigned in 2019 before the Federal High Court in Abuja following his staging of a protest rally in Abuja which he tagged “Revolution Now.”

  • Ondo gov, Aiyedatiwa nominates popular SAN, 5 others as commissioners [See names]

    Ondo gov, Aiyedatiwa nominates popular SAN, 5 others as commissioners [See names]

    Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has forwarded the names of six commissioner nominees to the state House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Akure by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan.

    One of the notable nominees is a legal luminary, Mr Kayode Ajulo (SAN).

    Also announced was the appointment of three Special Advisers; Hon. Olugbenga Omole as Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Mrs Olamide Falana as Special Adviser on Gender Affairs, and Mr Alabi Johnson as Special Adviser on Energy.

    According to the statement, three of the nominees for commissioners were retained from the cabinet of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

    The commissioners are Mr. Razaq Obe, Mr. Emmanuel Igbasan, and Mr Akinwumi Sowore

    Other nominees are; Mrs Omowumi Isaac, and Mr Oseni Oyeniyi.

  • ‘You denied Nigerians of a decent life’ – Sowore reacts to Buhari’s apology

    ‘You denied Nigerians of a decent life’ – Sowore reacts to Buhari’s apology

    The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Omoyole Sowore has reacted to an apology offered to Nigerians by President Muhammadu Buhari as his administration comes to a close.

    Buhari had on Friday asked Nigerians to pardon him, especially those he might have hurt while discharging his duties.

    Sowore reacted to Buhari’s apologies via his official Twitter handle outlining the reasons why Buhari may never be pardoned for his actions during his tenure.

    “You denied Nigerians of a decent life, you denied children, women, men -old and young- an opportunity to live and thrive.

    “You destroyed businesses, you took innocent lives, you destroyed the educational sector, you deprived the sick and infirm of an opportunity to be nursed to health. You unjustly detained and imprisoned many.

    “You encouraged violence where you couldn’t carry it out yourself. You created division through religious bigotry and ethnicity. Yourself, your family members, cronies and members of your cabal perpetrated untold corruption”, Sowore tweeted.