Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) on Friday disrupted proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja when they stormed the court and re-arrested arrested the convener of #RevolutionNow Protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and his co-accused, Olawale Bakare.
Consequently, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu suspended the sitting abruptly and fled the court.
It would be recalled that Sowore, who is standing trial alongside Bakare for alleged treasonable felony, was released yesterday after spending some 125 days in DSS custody.
Their release was sequel to an order issued by Justice Ojukwu that they should be free within next 24 hours (from yesterday).
They were released at 7.15pm to their lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, whom the agency had earlier insisted was not the right person to release the defendants to.
Reacting to the re-arrest, Falana said no such thing happened even during the military era.
Falana described the action as “horrendous, bizarre, and barbaric contempt of court.”
“Under the military regime, the so-called enemies of the government would not be arrested in the web of the court which is considered a sanctuary.
“The military regimes would always show some respect for the court and would only arrest after the person left the court premises.
“What we have witnessed today is alien to Nigeria,” Falana said.
Also reacting to the development, human rights lawyer, Mr. Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, condemned the re-arrest saying the “evil” should be resisted.
“This is lawlessness at its peak, for operatives of DSS to storm a courtroom where there is a presiding judge to arrest Omoyele Sowore, right inside the courtroom.
“It was reported that the presiding judge was chased away with guns and the whole courtroom is in pandemonium right now.
“I don’t feel proud to be a lawyer right now at all, let alone being a citizen of a country of lawless officers of the law who are shaming the law. We must rise up and kick against this evil,” he said.
Speaking to supporters, family members and journalists who witnessed his re-arrest in the court premises, Sowore said: “Every Nigerian must benefit from a country that’s theirs.
“They tried to break me in prison. They sent delegations to me, offering all kinds of… and I refused.
“And they promised that I will not walk out of their detention alive. That’s what they came here (in the court) to implement today.
“Nobody in Nigeria should be afraid. It’s our country and some people have to make the sacrifice for this country to be a country of rule, of law…”
“It might be my only word on the record before they kill me; this is an attempt to assassinate me in court. They came with guns and they tried to shoot and they dragged me down in front of a judge after I have been granted bail.
“I said it that these are a bunch of lawless people and they were reluctant to respect the order of the court. Now they have shown it to the whole world.
Sowore urged Nigerians not to be afraid and said people have to make the sacrifice for the country to work.
“What is important for Nigerians to know is that I am not going to give up until every Nigerian benefits from a country that is theirs and I have made it very clear.
“Nobody in Nigeria should be afraid, it is our country and some people have to make the sacrifice for this country to be a country of rule, law and of dignity; and this also involves even judges. If suspects who have been given bail are not safe in court, the judges themselves are not safe.”
Punch quotes Falana as saying that at a meeting which Justice Ojukwu called to be held in her chambers with him and the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Hassan Liman, the judge “expressed dismay” over the development as she said, “she was made to flee her court.”
It was gathered that armed DSS operatives cocked their guns to re-arrest Sowore just after the judge had adjourned his trial till February 2020.
At the close of Friday’s proceedings, Sowore and Bakare were leaving the courtroom and the judge was already attending to another case, when about 15 armed DSS operatives who appeared to have laid an ambush for them, made to arrest them.
The move forced Sowore and Bakare to turn back to return to the courtroom, but Sowore was quickly held by an operative.
Sowore who managed to free himself ran back into the court with the invading operatives cocking their guns as they went after him.
The development disrupted proceedings at Justice Ojukwu’s court.
The judge quickly fled the court and called off the day’s sittings.
Sowore, with his supporters, was able to resist the arrest for a while, raising the alarm that the DSS’ moves were an attempt to kill him.
After the meeting Falana and the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Liman, held with the judge, the defence lawyer criticised the operatives’ move to make an arrest within the court premises.
He offered to drive his client to the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
The operatives agreed with the arrangement as they drove in vehicles in front and behind Falana’s car while they made their way to the DSS headquarters.
Falana said on getting to the DSS office, he was not allowed to meet with Sowore as he was asked to come back later.
