Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been detained by the Nigerian police in Abuja after rejecting stringent bail conditions imposed on him following his interrogation.
Sowore announced his detention on social media late Monday, stating that the police were holding him at the Abattoir police station in Guzape, Abuja. This station was previously used by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), notorious for human rights abuses.
The activist was invited by the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja over a video he uploaded on social media alleging police officers extorted motorists at a checkpoint in Lagos. He arrived at the FID complex Monday morning amid heavy security.
The police had granted him bail after interrogation, with conditions requiring a Level 17 civil servant as surety and the surrender of his international passport. Sowore described these conditions as "illegal" and refused to comply, even after they were reviewed.
“The DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi, has reevaluated my bail conditions, necessitating the production of a Level 16 civil servant and the surrender of my passport, a condition I have declined outright. I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity,” Sowore stated on Facebook.
Sowore’s legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana, backed his stance, citing a Court of Appeal judgment in Dasuki v. Director-General of SSS. Falana argued that involving civil servants as sureties in criminal bail is illegal and violates public service rules.
Falana quoted Justice Stephen Adah of the Court of Appeal, who ruled that requiring civil servants or public officers as sureties is contrary to Nigeria’s civil service rules and undermines the fight against corruption.
Sowore’s detention has sparked reactions, with many observers questioning the legality of the conditions and the broader implications for civil liberties in Nigeria. The hearing into his case is expected to bring clarity in the coming days.
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments expressed here are solely the views of their authors and do not reflect the opinions of Pennewsblog or its team.