The Federal Authorities has filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue the treason prices filed towards activists and Writer of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare, alias Mandate.
A replica of the nolle prosequi (discover of discontinuance) sighted by our correspondent on Thursday was signed by the Lawyer Normal of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
In line with the stamp on the doc, it was obtained by the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja on February 15, 2024.
Within the doc titled ‘Discover of Discontinuance’, the AGF wrote: “By advantage of the ability conferred on me beneath Part 174 (1) of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Part 107 (1) of the Administration of Prison Justice Act 2015 and all different powers enalling me in that behalf, I, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN, intend to discontinue Cost No: FHC/ABI/CR/235/2019.”
The fees had been filed towards Sowore and Mandate in 2019 within the wake of a botched nationwide protest they tagged “Revolution Now.”
The administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari stated the protest was geared toward destabilising the federal government or taking on energy by violence after Sowore, who was the candidate of African Motion Congress, misplaced out within the 2019 presidential election that Buhari received.
Forward of the deliberate ‘Revolution Now’ protest, Sowore and Mandate had been arrested in a midnight raid in Lagos by operatives of the Division of State Providers.
Following their arraignment, Sowore and Mandate had been restricted to Abuja.
On Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite, who’s dealing with the matter, threatened to strike out the costs for lack of diligent prosecution.
Reacting to the nolle prosequi on Thursday, Sowore, in a press release on his Fb web page, slammed Buhari for what he described as his “idiosyncratic treason trial.”
He stated, “5 years in the past, the Federal Authorities of Nigeria commenced a fruitlessly malicious, tendencious and idiosyncratic treason trial (persecution) towards me, Olawale Adebayo Bakare (aka MANDATE) and a number of other different revolutionary comrades throughout Nigeria.
“We stood our floor and started a historic journey to liberate our nation, regardless of threats, assassination of members of the family, state-sponsored violence and focused assaults by safety forces; we promised by no means to again down. At this time, we’ve got been vindicated on one entrance, the Nigerian authorities has terminated its personal case towards me, however we won’t terminate our wrestle for justice and liberty of our compatriots.
“We warned the @MBuhari regime and people who adopted his ruinous path that they are going to face final shame earlier than lengthy. We salute our revolutionary comrades.”
He additional informed our correspondent that he deliberate to insistute a N100bn lawsuit towards the Federal Authorities for alleged malicious prosecution.
In line with him, the N100bn would cowl for the “time and sources, psychological and monetary trauma prompted his particular person, companies, his spouse and kids, and his prolonged household, and the alleged assassination of his youthful brother, Olajide Sowore in 2021.”
Sowore stated, “I’m not presupposed to be congratulated as a result of the Federal Authorities has now determined to discontinue the symbolic treasonable felony case towards me. I didn’t commit any crime, they solely determined to waste my time and the sources of the nation.
“However we’re not giving up. I’ll sue the Federal Authorities of Nigeria and the DSS for N100billion as compensation for price of time and sources, psychological and monetary trauma that they prompted my particular person, my companies, my spouse and kids, and my prolonged household, and in addition for the assassination of my brother, Olajide Sowore throughout this five-year interval that I used to be kidnapped, detaned, and now confined to Nigeria whereas they seized my passport.
“The Federal Authorities should additionally pay the N3m that was awarded to me by the court docket as compensation, through the course of the trial. And the DSS should return my passport and my cellphones that had been seized after I used to be arrested and detained since August 2019.”
