At Last Sowore Regains Freedom After Months In DSS Custody

Publisher of Sahara Reporters  and convener , Revolution Now, Mr. Omoyele Sowore on Thursday evening  , regained his freedom after three months in custody of the Department for State Security DSS.

Sowore was freed after a federal high ordered his release and fined the SSS N100,000 for his continued detention.

The DSS had earlier affirmed readiness  to release Sowore, who has spent over 100 days in its custody.

The Department of State Service (DSS), has explained why Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 presidential election, is still in its custody.

Recall that Sowore was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, August 3, 2019, after announcing his plan to stage a nationwide protest tagged #RevolutionNow.

Sowore was subsequently flown to Abuja where he has been detained.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had granted the embattled activist bail for a second time, but he is yet to regain his freedom despite fulfilling his bail conditions.

The refusal of the DSS to release Sowore as ordered by the court, has prompted nationwide outrage and protests at the agency’s headquarters.

It was however gathered that on Tuesday, November 12, the DSS assaulted some protesters who were demanding Sowore’s release.

Reacting to the report, the spokesman of the DSS, Peter Afunanya denied the assault stories, saying the operatives of the agency did not open fire on protesters but only prevented those who wanted to forcefully break into the agency to release Sowore.

“The DSS wishes to state that its operatives did not open fire on alleged protesters who had stormed its facility on 12th November, 2019,” he said.

Afunanya added that, “as a normal global security practice, the operatives stood in defence of their facility when some group of persons made unruly attempts to forcefully break into the place and effect the release of Omoyele Sowore.

The DSS Spokesman however reiterated the service’s avowed readiness to release Sowore once the processes are concluded.

Afunanya added that the appropriate persons have still not turned up to take delivery of Sowore.

“Despite serial and unwarranted provocations, the service, as a professional and responsible Organisation, did not shoot at the so called protesters. It could not have done so.”