The Peoples Alternative Front led by rights lawyer, Femi Falana on Sunday knocked the Federal Government for taking Sahara Reporters’ Omoyele Sowore to court for allegedly insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement from the group’s scribe, Eze Alloysius, asked that the “insulting” charge be withdrawn and all political detainees freed.
According to the release: “On August 8, 2019 the Federal High Court granted the ex parte motion filed by the State Security Service (SSS) to detain Mr Omoyele Sowore for 45 days for the purpose of investigating the allegations that he had committed terrorism, treason and receiving millions of dollars from Dubai to overthrow President Buhari. The Federal Government claimed also that Sowore committed an unknown criminal offence by using the word “revolution”.
A statement from the group’s scribe, Eze Alloysius, asked that the “insulting” charge be withdrawn and all political detainees freed.
According to the release: “On August 8, 2019 the Federal High Court granted the ex parte motion filed by the State Security Service (SSS) to detain Mr Omoyele Sowore for 45 days for the purpose of investigating the allegations that he had committed terrorism, treason and receiving millions of dollars from Dubai to overthrow President Buhari. The Federal Government claimed also that Sowore committed an unknown criminal offence by using the word “revolution”.
“After detaining Sowore for almost two months, the SSS found no evidence to substantiate the above reckless allegations.
“Sowore has also been charged with money laundering for transferring the sum of $19, 975 from his personal bank account to Sahara Reporters an online medium published by him.
“With respect to Mr Olawale Bakare (a.k.a Mandate) he was arrested in Osogbo, Osun State during the revolution protests on August 5, 2019. Other comrades arrested with him have been charged with unlawful assembly at the Magistrates’ Court, Osogbo, by the Nigeria Police Force.
“All efforts to contact Mandate since then have proved abortive as the SSS had denied detaining him. Mandate who has been held incommunicado contrary to Section 2 of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 has now been charged with treasonable felony along with Mr Sowore.
“Since it has been established that both patriots have been detained for several weeks for terrorism without any legal basis, we hereby demand for their unconditional release from the illegal custody of the SSS.
“We also call on the Inspector-General of Police to release Messrs Agba Jalingo and Ekanem Ekpo being detained in police custody for terrorism for insulting Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, by publishing allegations of official corruption in Cross River State.
“We agree with Mr Femi Falana (SAN) that there can be no legal or moral basis for harassing patriotic citizens by the Buhari regime.”
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