The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has
taken a swipe at the Directorat
arresting Omoyele Sowore and Adebayo Bakare, aka, Mandate.
The activists have been standing trial for treasonable felony with
the hashtag, #RevolutionNow since August 3.
The were released yesterday but were re-arrested inside the court
premises on Friday.
In a statement sent to DAILY POST by CACOL’s Executive
Chairman, Debo Adeniran, the group stated that, “It was a
moment of applause and commendation to the judiciary and the
DSS itself when the leadership hierarchy of the secret Police
finally acceded to the 24-hour ultimatum handed down to it by
the Justice Ojukwu of the Federal High court, Abuja, yesterday.
“We had all heaved a sigh of relief that the security outfit has
finally convinced itself of the need to act within the dictates and
commands of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution
and other laws of the land, only for us to learn of its commando-
like re-arrest after physical and occasional assaults on the duo
that involves guns and ammunition, rough handling, etc., within
the court premises, contrary to the norms and practice in a
democratic setting.
“From the video clip of the unfortunate incident at the court
earlier today, it was clear that had it not been for the timely and
courteous intervention of come journalists and legal practitioners
that intervened, including his lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana, SAN,
who later cautioned on the implications of the DSS insistence to
desecrate the known tenets and ethos of democratic practice, by
forcefully getting hold and whisking the duo away from the court
premises, one could not imagine the dimension of wanton
violence and probable loss of lives that could have taken place
even in the full glare of national and international Media.
Apparently, this is not the kind of compliments any responsible
and worthy security agency should attract for itself and the
country’s leadership even under a dictatorship.
“As a responsible civil society organization, we reiterate our calls
for the security apparatus of the state to be more circumspect
and mindful of democratic requirements under a civil government
so as not to scare foreigners away thereby jeopardize our
investment portfolio or precipitate breakdown of law and order in
a way that the sovereignty and survival of the nation itself
becomes threatened. Even if the DSS have any cause to file fresh
or additional charges against the accused, either before same
judge or other court of competent jurisdiction, this would have
been done in cognizance of known procedures that would not
precipitate contravention of law and order.
“We, therefore, call for immediate and unconditional release of
same accused since nothing has shown them to be any cogent
threat to the continued survival and peaceful coexistence of the
Nigerian nation, while issues of perennial conflicts are objectively
looked into for the nation to take its rightful place amongst
comity of nations.”
e of State Security, DSS, for re-
taken a swipe at the Directorat
arresting Omoyele Sowore and Adebayo Bakare, aka, Mandate.
The activists have been standing trial for treasonable felony with
the hashtag, #RevolutionNow since August 3.
The were released yesterday but were re-arrested inside the court
premises on Friday.
In a statement sent to DAILY POST by CACOL’s Executive
Chairman, Debo Adeniran, the group stated that, “It was a
moment of applause and commendation to the judiciary and the
DSS itself when the leadership hierarchy of the secret Police
finally acceded to the 24-hour ultimatum handed down to it by
the Justice Ojukwu of the Federal High court, Abuja, yesterday.
“We had all heaved a sigh of relief that the security outfit has
finally convinced itself of the need to act within the dictates and
commands of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution
and other laws of the land, only for us to learn of its commando-
like re-arrest after physical and occasional assaults on the duo
that involves guns and ammunition, rough handling, etc., within
the court premises, contrary to the norms and practice in a
democratic setting.
“From the video clip of the unfortunate incident at the court
earlier today, it was clear that had it not been for the timely and
courteous intervention of come journalists and legal practitioners
that intervened, including his lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana, SAN,
who later cautioned on the implications of the DSS insistence to
desecrate the known tenets and ethos of democratic practice, by
forcefully getting hold and whisking the duo away from the court
premises, one could not imagine the dimension of wanton
violence and probable loss of lives that could have taken place
even in the full glare of national and international Media.
Apparently, this is not the kind of compliments any responsible
and worthy security agency should attract for itself and the
country’s leadership even under a dictatorship.
“As a responsible civil society organization, we reiterate our calls
for the security apparatus of the state to be more circumspect
and mindful of democratic requirements under a civil government
so as not to scare foreigners away thereby jeopardize our
investment portfolio or precipitate breakdown of law and order in
a way that the sovereignty and survival of the nation itself
becomes threatened. Even if the DSS have any cause to file fresh
or additional charges against the accused, either before same
judge or other court of competent jurisdiction, this would have
been done in cognizance of known procedures that would not
precipitate contravention of law and order.
“We, therefore, call for immediate and unconditional release of
same accused since nothing has shown them to be any cogent
threat to the continued survival and peaceful coexistence of the
Nigerian nation, while issues of perennial conflicts are objectively
looked into for the nation to take its rightful place amongst
comity of nations.”
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