Pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere has condemned the 45-day detention of activist Omoyele Sowore, granted by a Federal High Court, Abuja following his arrest by the Department of State Service (DSS), which had requested the court to grant them 90- days to detain the activist.
Sowore was arrested by the DSS on Saturday August 3 ahead of the planned #RevolutionNow protest, which was staged in some parts of the country on Monday, August 5. The DSS through its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, had described Sowore’s planned protest march as a threat to “peace, public safety and social harmony,” while the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu described it as “treasonable felony and act of terrorism”.
Afenifere in a statement issued on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the group views with great concern the 45-day detention without trial granted the DSS by a Federal High Court on Omoyele Sowore over his call for a protest on Monday.
“The order represents a new phase in the orchestrated conscription of the democratic space in Nigeria.
We are aware of that obnoxious provision in the Terrorism Act, but it can never assume superiority over the Constitution which stipulates that a citizen cannot be detained for more than 48 hours before being charged to court.
“Sowore was arrested before he could commit an offence and the DSS seems to want to go shopping for evidence to prosecute him.
“Having failed to allow him to commit the offense before he was peremptorily arrested, the DSS should free Sowore or charge him to court so the judicial process can take its course. As it is, he is only being held illegally using the legal process.
“Our advice to government is that it should understand and act in conformity with the democratic tenets in dealing with the rights of Nigerians,” the statement said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
