The Department of State Services (DSS) is yet to issue a formal statement following the alleged arrest of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last election Omoyele Sowore by operatives of the security agency.
BusinessDay correspondent put a phone call through to the Public Relations Officer of the secret police, Peter Afunanya, on Saturday for his reaction. Although the spokesman responded to the call, he, however, did not speak on the matter, promising to call back perhaps to clarify the issues.
Nigerians woke up to the news that the DSS arrested the activist-turned-politician around 1:30 am for allegedly creating and championing ‘#RevolutionNow’, a hashtag used to criticize President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on the social media by his critics.
The human rights activist had in one of his tweets opined that “#RevolutionNow was for the oppressed to choose a date they desire for liberty, not subjected to the approval of the oppressor.”
Sowore was said to have called on Nigerians to come out on August 5 for a street protest over the state of the nation with the hashtag ‘#RevolutionNow’, which the DSS feared might disrupt the peace of Lagos and other parts of the country, were protests are allegedly being planned.
An eyewitness, who according to Thecable, an online newspaper, is Sowore’s driver, narrated how Sowore was arrested.
He said “at around past 1am, the armed men knocked on the door. I noticed immediately that these knocks were strange. And didn’t open. I looked and I saw men armed to the teeth.
“They started forcing their way in like armed robbers. But I knew they were DSS men, knowing fully well the attention RevolutionNow has garnered. Sowore wanted to open at first but I immediately told him who they are. He retreated and like magic, he was not in the room when they forced their way in- 8 of them.
“That was when he managed to tweet. By this time, I had been beaten and handcuffed. Phones were snatched from me. An order to block all exits came from the leader when Sowore was not found inside. He was later arrested at the gym in a Gestapo manner and dragged after a bit altercation.
“I quickly seized that opportunity to drive his car (I drive him) to block their SIENNA and Hilux they came in. They hit the Lexus Jeep, like kidnappers would do to make way for themselves,” he wrote.
“I followed them immediately till w got to CMD road around Ketu when one of them came down from the SIENNA and corked his gun, threatening to shoot me. I had to escape at that point,” he said.
