*DSS refuses to release his phones, pay N3m in damages ordered by court
The Federal High Court in Abuja has released the passport of human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, after his trial for alleged treason was discontinued by the Federal Government.
Following a ruling on Monday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court I Abuja discharging Sowore of treasonable felony after the Federal Government of Nigeria applied to discontinue the trial, the Federal High Court Registrar in Abuja released his passport seized since 2019 as part of his bail condition.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite struck out the charges and ordered that all items seized from Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, should be returned.
However, the Department of State Services (DSS) has refused to release Sowore’s phones illegally seized during his arrest on August 3, 2019.
They have also refused to pay the N3 million in damages awarded to him by the court.
Apart from the DSS seizure of his phones, an account he maintains with Guaranty Trust Bank has also remained frozen since 2019 as the bank claims that the DSS obtained a court order to freeze the account.
Sowore’s lawyers said they intended to sue Guaranty Trust bank for partaking in the reckless violation of his fundamental human rights as the courts never granted perpetual orders to freeze bank accounts of persons under trial.
Sowore last week vowed to sue the government and the DSS for N100 billion as compensation for the trauma they caused to his person, wife, children and family, cost of time, resources, among others, suffered in the course of the trial.
He said, “I will sue the Federal Government of Nigeria and the DSS for N100 billion as compensation for the cost of time and resources, mental and financial trauma that they cause my person, my businesses, my wife and children and my extended family and also for the assassination of my brother, Olajide Sowore, during the five-year period that I was abducted, detained and confined to Nigeria while they seized my passport.”
He also noted that the government “must pay the N3 million that was awarded to me by the court as compensation during the course of the trial”.
The decision to discontinue the trial was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja via a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 and filed by Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Nwite also ordered the release of one mobile phone belonging to his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare and the sum of N1,500 seized from him.
The notice of the discontinuation read, “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019″
The federal government arrested Sowore and Olawale Bakare, the co-defendant, in August 2019 for planning to organise a protest tagged #RevolutionNow.
They were accused of treason and attempts to overthrow former President Muhammadu Buhari.
