Sowore detention: You lied, Falana replies DSS

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of being economical with the truth over the continued detention of co-convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore despite meeting the stringent bail conditions granted him by the court.

Recall that DSS had on Friday, declared that it has confirmed receipt of the court order for the release of Omoyele Sowore. It also affirmed that nobody has come to take him on bail.

According to DSS Public Relations officer, Peter Afunanya in a statement, since the receipt of the order, no person has turned up at the DSS to take delivery of him.

“The Service, under the leadership of Yusuf Magaji Bichi (fwc), as the Director General, is not a lawless organization and will never obstruct justice or disobey Court orders. It, therefore, affirms that it will do all that is needful once the appropriate processes have been concluded”.

Reacting to the DSS claims, Falana, in a statement said his Chambers had made representation to the DSS for Sowore’s release but the secret police failed to comply with order of the court.

Falana said in the statement: “On 6/11/19 the bailiff of the Federal High Court wanted to serve the reproduction warrants issued by the court on the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) . But the SSS asked the Bailiff to call back at 10.00 am on 7/11/19. The bailiff did and was able to serve the reproduction warrants on the DG of the SSS.

“Upon acknowledging the service of the reproduction warrants the SSS assured the bailliff and five lawyers from the defence team that our clients would be released yesterday. But the SSS decided not to release our clients to our lawyers who waited in vain in the agency’s headquarters for not less than four hours.

“When Sowore said that he would not make a statement without first consulting with me the DSS management called me on phone on 6/8/19. Assuming the DSS had wanted to release our clients since yesterday the management would have contacted me.

“In the instant case, the federal high court did not order the sss to hand over Messrs Sowore and Bakare to any person but to produce them for the purpose of releasing them having met the suffocating bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.

“Even though the SSS disobeyed the order of the Honourable Justice Taiwo for the release of Mr. Sowore on 24/9/19 it has turned round to announce its readiness to comply with the order of the Honourable Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and Bakare from illegal custody.