A Federal High Court in Abuja today struck out the application by the Department of Social Security, DSS, to further detain Omoyele Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters and convener of RevolutionNow.
This followed the withdrawal of the application by the state counsel.
Femi Falana, Sowore’s lawyer, told the court to order immediate release of his client as the prosecution is no longer interested to detain him further.
Counsel to the DSS, however, challenged the oral application for release saying that a formal suit has been filed where Sowore is being accused of treasonable felony which is a capital offence.
Sowore was arrested on August 3, two days before a rally tagged Revolutionnow for allegedly plotting to overthrow an elected government.
The prosecutor is asking the Court to deny the respondent bail due to the fresh charges filed against him.
In response, Falana said the application for bail was withdrawn and the prosecutor’s application for further remand was also withdrawn. He stressed that the new charges can’t metamorphose in a remand order. He urged the court to disregard the submission on the prosecutor.
Falana said the prosecutor cannot ask the court to detain a citizen prospectively and in anticipation of the arraignment of the defendant order his detention.
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