Sowore: Agency’s Reasons Shameful –- Falana SAN

Activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) on Tuesday berated the Department of State Services (DSS) for the continued detention of #RevolutionNow Convener Omoyele Sowore.

In a statement, he said: “I was in Abuja yesterday (Monday) to participate in a public forum on ‘Digital Voting in Nigeria’. Before the commencement of the programme, I asked one of my colleagues in chambers, Mr. Abubakar Marshal, to book an appointment for me to visit our clients, Messrs Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare, in the illegal custody of the DSS. At the end of the event, Mr. Abubakar informed me that the DSS had fixed the appointment for 10 a.m today (yesterday). But around 9.30 a.m, the DSS called to inform me that the appointment had been shifted to 2 p.m.

“I was driving to the office of the DSS this afternoon when my attention was drawn to another reason adduced by the DSS for disobeying the order of the Federal High Court for the release of our clients. In a very disgraceful statement, the DSS claimed that Sowore could be knocked down by a moving vehicle, if released from illegal custody.

“Even though the diversionary press conference was deliberately designed to blackmail me, I discountenanced and proceeded to honour the appointment. Thus, in a brief meeting with our clients, I informed them that upon the verification of their sureties, the Federal High Court had ordered their release from custody.

“In order to arm them to press for their rights, I gave them a certified true copy of the court order for their release, which had been served on the DSS management. Our clients debunked the claim of Dr. Afunanya (DSS spokesman) that they had been given access to telephone and other facilities.”

“Before leaving the headquarters of the DSS, I advised the management to restrain Dr. Peter Afunanya from further exposing the country to avoidable ridicule in his desperate bid to justify the illegal detention of our clients.

“In view of the claim of the DSS that Mr. Sowore could be knocked down by a moving vehicle, if left alone, I offered to drive him out of the headquarters of the DSS. But my request was turned down since the DSS has been playing to the gallery in a rather puerile manner.

“However, I find it difficult to believe that the Director General of the DSS, Mr. Mogaji, is aware of the highly misleading claim of Dr. Afunanya that I had not put a call through to him.

“Since I have evidence of my several text messages and telephone calls, which were ignored by Mr. Mogaji, I have decided to report the misconduct of Dr. Afunanya to the appropriate agency of the Federal Government for giving false information to members of the public.”