Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has told the Department of State Services to stop subjecting Nigeria to ridicule over the case of the detained activists, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare.
Falana said the DSS had constituted itself into an appellate court over the Federal High Court for asking Sowore’s sureties to show up for verification before releasing him.
He explained that for the avoidance of doubt, no condition was attached to the order of the court for the release of both men.
He disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja while reacting to the latest statement by the spokesperson for the DSS, Peter Afunanya.
The statement reads, “The SSS has now said that it is only appropriate that those who stood surety for Sowore present themselves and have him released to them.
“With respect to Sowore, we wish to state without any fear of contradiction, that the SSS has apparently constituted itself into an appellate court over the Federal High Court.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no condition was attached to the order of the court for the release of both detainees.”
Falana further said that the DSS was aggravating the felony of contempt of court by asking sureties, who had been verified by the trial court to report in its office for an illegal verification.
He reminded the service that he and his colleagues, who were charged for similar offence by the military in May 1992 were released after they met their bail conditions.
He added, “On that occasion, the SSS never asked our sureties to report after they had been verified by the trial court.
“I demand for nothing less for my clients under the current political dispensation which ought to be anchored on the rule of law.”
