Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said the Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the invasion of the Federal High Court in Abuja, by the operatives of Department State Service (DSS) last Friday.
DSS operatives invaded the court on Friday in a bid to rearrest Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement.
Sowore was eventually rearrested less than 24 hours, after he was released from a 124-day detention.
During his visit to John Tsoho, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court on Wednesday, Malami announced that the investigation of the action of DSS was ongoing.
“Whatever affects the integrity of the court is a worrisome issue for us… I can never be preemptive of an incident over which I was not a live witness to.
“But one thing I am certain of is that the government has put in place mechanism for investigation of the reported incident.
“So, I would not like to be preemptive in terms of a conclusion, one way or the other, without allowing the consummation and conclusion of the investigation process,” Malami said.
Asked to comment about the rearrest of Sowore who had been granted bail by two courts, Malami added: “It is about tradition and not a coincidence but then the truth of the matter is, I’m not here about Sowore’s case. I’m here to visit his lordship to congratulate him over his appointment but one thing about the judicial process, I think it is not the only case that the federal government is involved.
“As you rightly know, we have multiple cases and more serious cases than that of Sowore pending before the court generally, so the case of Sowore is certainly not an exception, so I cannot be here for an exclusive case.”
Source:Dailypost.ng
Sowore
The Cable reports that according to a statement issued DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya , on Saturday, the agency claimed that “its personnel were never, at any time, involved in the incident.”
The statement reads;
“It has become important that the Department of State Services responds to the serial misinformation being circulated in the media about its involvement in the incident that occurred on 6th December, 2019 at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
It is instructive to note that during the court proceeding of the day under reference, Defence Counsel, Femi FALANA (SAN), called the attention of the Judge to a suspicion that the Service was planning to re-arrest Omoyele SOWORE immediately after the court session.
The Court discountenanced his alarm and asserted that the Service was law abiding and would not engage in such and subsequently adjourned to February, 2020.
However, when SOWORE stepped out of the court and sighted operatives of the Service within the premises, he ran back into the courtroom. In a bid to shield him from an imaginary arrest, his uncontrollable supporters mobbed him while chanting ‘you can’t arrest him’ thus the pandemonium that ensued.
A critical look at the videos in circulation would convince any objective viewer that there was no DSS personnel during the entire period the Sowore crowd acted out its orchestrated drama. Its personnel were never, at any time, involved in the incident.
In actual fact, it was his (Sowore’s) people who seized him. And from the latest developments, it has become obvious what the intent for such mischief was meant for – simply to serve a propagandist purpose as well as bring the Service to disrepute.
Eye witness and several media accounts have disclosed that the Court had adjourned peacefully without an untoward incident when suddenly the unruly crowd imported into the Courtroom went into frenzy on the mere suspicion that DSS was sighted at the court premises.
The eventual re-arrest of Sowore by the DSS was effected outside the courtroom. His lead counsel has affirmed this.
The DSS, as a professional, responsible and law-abiding Organization, could not have invaded a courtroom including the one presided over by a respected Judge who is not only handling its case but whose Order was unconditionally obeyed within a 24 hour ultimatum.
The Service holds the judiciary in utmost respect and will continue to work with it for national peace and public safety in Nigeria”.