DSS fishing for evidence to nail Sowore – Femi Falana
The lawyer to #RevolutioNow protest convener, Omoyele Sowore, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said that
Recalled it was announced today that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), had taken over the case against the Omoyele Sowore, from the Department of State Services (DSS).
A statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Gwandu, confirmed this on Friday.
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The statement referred to December 11, 2019, a letter sent on behalf of the AGF by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), to the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, directing the security agency to “promptly forward all the case files” to the AGF.
The statement by the media aide to the AGFread in part, “The Solicitor General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata who signed the letter referred to a letter from the DSS office on September 9, 2019″.
It quoted Apata’s letter as stating that ” the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice upon a further review of the case has directed the immediate takeover of the prosecution of all charges in respect of Omoyele Sowore by the Federal Ministry of Justice in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174(1) (a-c) of the 1999 constitution (as amended)”.
The statement by the media aide of the minister indicated that the move to take over the case from the DSS was to ensure speedy completion of the case and not due to the disgraceful handling of the case with the invasion of Federal High Court in Abuja by the operatives of the security agency in their bid to rearrest Sowore on February 6, 2019.
But Falana said it was the AGF that initially filed a case against Sowore before it was transferred to Hassan Liman, the prosecuting counsel.
“It is not a take over because it was the AGF that filed the Sowore’s case and farmed it out to Dr. Hassan Liman SAN,” he said.
“But in view of the violent invasion of the court by armed operatives of the SSS, the AGF has decided to sack the prosecution team and have the case prosecuted by the DPP.
“Having been advised that Sowore cannot be convicted on the basis of the proof of evidence filed in court, the sss has refused to make the statements of the prosecution witnesess available to the defendants as ordered by the trial court.
“Hence, hearing in the case has been adjourned to February 20, 2020 at the instance of the Prosecution.
“Convinced that the pending case would collapse like a pack of cards, the sss is currently fishing for evidence to nail Sowore. In spite of the directive of the AGF to take over the case the sss subjected Sowore to a 4-hour interrogation yesterday (12/12/19).
“The entire interrogation pertained to Sowore’s alleged links with the proscribed Boko Haram sect, IPOB, and IMN which he vehemently denied. At Sowore’s instance a member of the legal defence team, Mr. Abubakar Marshal witnessed the marathon interrogation.
“In view of the foregoing we urge the Agf to file a nolle prosequi motion without any further delay to end the macabre dance which has exposed the country to avoidable embarrassment.”
