Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, says the court order for Omoyele Sowore’s release did not authorise the Department of State Services (DSS) to verify his sureties.
Sowore has been in detention since August 3 when he was arrested on the eve of his planned nationwide protest.
A federal high court in Abuja granted him bail, but the DSS has refused to release him.
The secret police said it would not release him until the identities of those who stood as sureties for him are verified.
“Pursuant to the verification of the sureties of Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare by the Federal High Court, the trial judge, the Honourable Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu made an order on November 6, 2019 for the release of the defendants from the custody of the DSS,” Falana said in a statement.
“The Court Order has not authorised the DSS to approve the sureties before releasing Sowore and Bakare from custody.”
Below is the court order.
