Finally, FG presses charges against Sowore

Sahara Reporters’ publisher Omoyele Sowore has been charged with treason, cybercrimes, and money laundering for convening RevolutionNow Protest 45 days ago.

Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters and a presidential candidate in the February 2019 presidential election is charged along with Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate.

The charges were signed and filed Friday on behalf of Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami by Aminu Alilu, a chief state Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.

Its 45 days now Sowore—along with his sidekick Olawale Bakare—has been in the DSS detention.

In the charges, the prosecution accused Sowore and his co-defendant of committing conspiracy to commit treasonable felony in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act by allegedly staging “a revolution campaign on September 5, 2019 aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

For cybercrimes which violate section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, the prosecution accused Sowore of “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

It also accused Sowore of money laundering offences in breach of section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

In his earlier application to enforce his fundamental rights and get bail, Sowore, through his lawyer Femi Falana, denied all the allegations.