On Tuesday, 12th November 2019, protesters for the release of the #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore assembled at the headquarters of the Directorate for State Services (DSS) in Abuja, to demand his release. However, the protesters and journalists were dispersed soon after, by operatives of the security agency. Some protesters and journalists reportedly sustained injuries in the process, while others had their phones forcefully taken away by the security operatives. Reacting to the reports, the security agency through its spokesman denied the use of live bullets to disperse protesters.
Sowore, who was charged for treason and money laundering, among other offences has been granted bail by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja but is still being held in custody by the DSS. It will be recalled that the security agency had earlier stated that it did not release the activist on bail, because there was no lawyer to receive him, a claim that was faulted by the defendant’s lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), who revealed that his lawyers had waited in vain at the DSS headquarters for his clients (Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare) to be released to them.
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, reacting to the development in a statement, underscored that disobedience to court orders has eroded the confidence of the people in the government and the judiciary. He also stated that, “A situation where the orders of courts are continuously disobeyed by security agents makes such security agents judges onto themselves and such situation does not augur well for democracy based on separation of powers and the rule of law”.
At this time, the DSS continues to insist that it will only release Sowore to the actual sureties who signed to take him on bail.