Court Strikes Out Charges Of Treason Against Activist, Sowore

The Federal High Court In Abuja has struck out the charge of treasonable felony brought against Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters with co – defender Olawale Bakare.

Justice Emeka Nwite struck out the charge following the notice of discontinuance filed by the federal government through the office of the attorney general of the federation, before the court.

Justice Nwite held that the case started afresh before him and till date, pleadings having not been taken, and as such, the court is bound to strike out the charges.

While stricking out the charges against Sowore, the court ordered the State Security Service to return 3 phones and N10,500 cash collected from him.

The trial judge also ordered that Sowore’s international passport and title deeds deposited in the court for perfection of his bail conditions be returned to him.

The court further made an order that the phone and a sum of 1500 naira collected from the 2nd defendant, Olawale Bakare, should also be returned to him.

The former AGF, Abubakar Malami, had filed charges of treason against Sowore, and another activist, Olawale Bakare, following their arrest by the State Security Service, SSS, for calling for a nationwide “RevolutionNow” protest against the Buhari Administration in August 2019.

The charges accused the duo of attempting to topple the Buhari administration, which they both denied.

In December 2019, the SSS operatives had invaded the court, disrupting a proceeding to re- arrest Sowore, who was adamant in resisting the widely-condemned forcible action of the security agents.

Since after the arraignment, the trial has made no significant progress, as the case was often adjourned based on one excuse or the other mostly from the prosecution, after calling only one witness in four years.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji