Justice rules on why Sowore will spend months in DSS detention

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted permission to detain the AAC ex-presidential candidate and convener of RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, for more days.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ruling on an ex parte application by the Department of State Services, whose operatives arrested Sowore last Saturday, held that the DSS could keep him for 45 days, after which the order could be renewed.

The DSS on Tuesday applied for permission to keep Sowore for 90 days to investigate him over his call for revolution ahead of the RevolutionNow protests which held in some parts of the country on Monday.

Ruling on ex parte application,  Justice Taiwo, said he had to grant the application, “only to the extent” of allowing the security agency to keep the respondent in custody for only 45 days for the applicant to conclude its investigation.”

He said, although the hearing of the application was one-sided as provided by 27(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act, the use of the word,  “may”, in the provision “is directory” and not “discretionary”.

He said he would, therefore, be failing in his duty not to grant the request for a detention order.

Sowore was arrested last Saturday, less than 48 hours to the planned RevolutionNow protest.