There was a palpable tension on the premises of Wuse, Zone 2, Magistrates’ Court Abuja as authorities of the Nigerian government and the police refused to produce the human rights’ activist, Omoyele Sowore, and four others in court in an attempt to frustrate their bail application.
Mr Sowore and four others were arrested on New Year eve during a protest.
They were on Monday charged with three counts of conspiracy, unlawful assembly and incitement.
On their request, Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello moved them out of Kuje correctional Centre to the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID).
However, on Friday, the defendants’ counsel Marshal Abubakar told journalists that there was confusion among the prosecution as to who is responsible for the case.
“This morning we have reached out to the authorities to bring the defendants to court to listen to the terms and conditions upon which bail would be considered,” he said.
“But we were informed and shown copies of documents from the office of the DIG requesting for the case file of Omoyele Sowore from the office of the commissioner of police FCT Abuja.
“Now we were told reliably that the office of the commissioner of police sent it to the office of the DIG yesterday.
“In service, the moment you request for the case file of a suspect and the case file was officially transferred to you, it is assumed that you have taken over responsibility of that particular matter.
“When I spoke to the CP this morning and the prosecutors and the IPO, they did inform me that the FCIID has taken over the matter officially. So on that basis, they said they don’t have a vehicle to convey Sowore and the other defendants to court.
“We took our time to reach out to the authorities of the FCIID. We asked them that since they have taken over this case file, how would the defendants be brought to court to listen to their bail application?
“And they said it is not in their place and they are not interested in Sowore’s case because of the political nature of that matter.
Newsonspot.com.ng also gathered that there was also a document from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation directing the case file to be transferred to the Directorate of Public Prosecution.
FLASH: Nigeria's Attorney General, @MalamiSAN Secretly Takes Over @YeleSowore's Court Hearing As Revenge Against Reports By SaharaReporters Exposing Series Of Corruption Activities By His Family#FreeSoworeNow
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) January 8, 2021
“This means that the DPP are now responsible for prosecuting this particular case.”
The defence counsel, Marshal Abubakar, also confirmed the shenanigans by the Nigerian government to frustrate the bail application and to continue to keep the activists indefinitely.
He explained that there was no lawyer from the office of the DPP and the police had also refused to bring the defendants to court.
Abubakar described the latest plot by the Nigerian government and the police to subvert justice.
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The activists have not yet arrived in the court as a large crowd of their supporters have gathered on the premises, chanting solidarity songs and threatening to storm the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
At press time, there was no legal representative from the office of the DPP.
