The Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere has advised the Department of State Services (DSS) to release former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore who is being held over allegations bordering on terrorism.
The advice is coming on the heels of a Federal High Court order on Thursday, granting the DSS permission to hold the publisher of Sahara Reporters for 45 days.
In an exparte application brought under Section 27 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, the secret service prayed Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, to grant its request to enable it conclude investigations into Sowore’s aborted #RevolutionNow# protests that were being planned across Nigeria.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, Yinka Odumakin, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, said the group viewed Sowore’s detention order with “great concern”.
According to the statement, “the order represents a new phase in the orchestrated conscription of the democratic space in Nigeria.”
Afenifere argued that DSS had foiled Sowore’s attempt to commit the alleged crime, and therefore had no justification for the prolonged incarceration the human rights activist free.
“As it is, he (Sowore) is only being held illegally using the legal process.
“Our advice to government is that it should understand and act in conformity with the democratic tenets in dealing with the rights of Nigerians,” the statement urged.