Authorities of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have hailed the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja for releasing Omoyele Sowore who had been in the Department of State Service, DSS custody close to two months.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the immediate release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, from the DSS custody On Tuesday.
In its reactions, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “It’s a huge relief that Sowore is freed and can finally return to his family and journalism work. According to him, Sowore should never have been detained in the first place.
“The Nigerian authorities should now withdraw all the charges against him and allow freedom of expression and media freedom to flourish. It’s good for everyone,” he advised.
Oluwadare said: “The Nigerian authorities now have to fully comply with this ruling by immediately releasing Sowore.
“The decision is a timely reminder of Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations to protect journalists, activists and Nigerians in general, and to put a stop to its current practice of restricting the civic space.”
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The statement read in part: “We hope this decision will make the Nigerian authorities and state governors stop and reflect on their ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom including online, and also help to put an end to other human rights violations of journalists and citizens in general.
Other journalists like Agba Jalingo and Ekanem Ekpo currently being detained, must be immediately and unconditionally released.
“If a court found it possible to release Sowore, we are sure that all the circumstances were studied, and an objective decision was made.”
Recall that SERAP had on Saturday sent an open letter to Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. It urged him to use his position “to without delay enter a nolle prosequi and discontinue the prosecution of the Convener of ‘RevolutionNow’ protest and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare.known as Mandate for apparently politically motivated charges of treason, fraud and ‘insulting President Muhammadu Buhari’.”