DSS apologises to Justice Ojukwu over court invasion ― Falana

Human Rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has revealed that the team leader of the Department of State Services, (DSS) apologised to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu for disrupting court proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja last week.

Falana told journalists that the DSS operatives were unable to defend their conduct, hence their subsequent apology to the judge, who was forced to adjourn the cases on her list following the invasion.

Condemning the statement issued by the spokesman of the agency, Falana described the statement as a “self-contradictory press release and an unsuccessful attempt to absolve itself of responsibility for the armed invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“By the advantage of information technology, the whole world has placed responsibility for the gangsterism desecration of the court on the DSS. The DSS cannot extricate itself from the abominable acts of December 6.

“When I informed the court that fresh charges were being filed against our clients and that they could be rearrested, the prosecution denied any such plan.

“As soon as the case was adjourned, the DSS pounced on Sowore and caused a disruption of the proceedings of the court. Having taken over the court room, Justice Ojukwu hurriedly rose and asked the registrar to adjourn all other cases.

“After the learned trial judge had risen for the day, she summoned the heads of the prosecution and defence teams to her chambers.

“When the lead prosecutor, Dr. Liman Hassan (SAN) denied knowledge of the invasion of her court, she directed him to invite the head of the DSS team in the court.

“When challenged to justify the invasion of the court, the officer could not. He apologised to Justice Ojukwu on behalf of the DSS. The judge then directed the officer to withdraw the DSS operatives from the court room.

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“The directive was complied with, as the operatives withdrew from the court room, but rushed out to join their colleagues who had taken over the entire court house,’’ Falana said.

He noted that the agency’s operatives’ desecration of the court was covered live by domestic and international media and journalists, some of whom he said were victims of the operatives’ acts of gangsterism, barbarism and brutalisation.

He called for the immediate release of Sowore and other political detainees as well as all criminal suspects that have been granted bail.