The Online Publisher Association of Nigeria (OPAN) has condemned the arrest of the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore by Department of State Security (DSS) and demands his immediate release.
The Department of State Services said that rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the February 2019 election, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, was arrested “for threatening public safety, peaceful co-existence and social harmony in the country.”
According to him, the DSS is charged with the responsibility of managing, curtailing, containing and eliminating threats against national security.
Reacting to the arrest, the premier online Publishers’ association in the country in a statement urged the DSS to immediately charge Mr. Sowore before a competent court if it feels the journalist and activist-cum politician has broken the law of the land.
“Detaining Sowore indefinitely without access to his lawyer or charging him to court is crude, undemocratic, brazen and draconian. He should be freed immediately or charged to court if indeed the state has a case against him,” OPAN President, Austyn Ogannah said in the statement.
OPAN maintained that the right of Sowore, any other person or group to protest against the federal government is guaranteed by the constitution of federal Republic of Nigeria, and warned against trampling on the clear provisions of the Nigeria Constitution, particularly section 40 of 1999 Constitution which protects the right of every Nigerian to stage peaceful protests.
Health & Fitness3 days ago
Featured7 days ago
Education1 week ago
Aviation5 days ago
Business1 week ago
Crime1 week ago
News6 days ago