Court orders DSS to release Sowore in 24 hours

Ijeoma Ojukwu, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja, has awarded the sum of N100,000 against the Department of State Services (DSS) for disobeying an order for the release Omoyele Sowore, pro-democracy activist.

The judge said the DSS cannot constitute itself as parallel court of law.

She asked the DSS to release the activist within 24 hours.

Sowore and Olawale Bakare, his co-accused, are standing trial on seven counts of treasonable felony, fraud, cyber-stalking and of insulting the president.

The DSS arrested the activist on August 3, and he has been in the custody of the secret service since the time despite orders for his release.

On November 12, the court issued a warning to the DSS for its refusal to comply with the order.

At the session on Thursday, Femi Falana, counsel to the defendant, told the court that the DSS has consistently denied him access to his client.

He asked for an adjournment of the matter to enable him to prepare his defence.

The judge adjourned the case until Friday for trial and to check for compliance with the court order.

There was mild drama as some women stripped themselves on the premises of the court in protest of the detention of Sowore.

The women, who tagged themselves “concerned mothers”, were seen holding placards with inscriptions “Sowore is not a criminal”, “respect court order”.