Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Friday, faulted the claim by the Department of State Services authorities that they were still holding the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare, because none of their lawyers was available to take their delivery from custody since Thursday.
the DSS acknowledged the receipt of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court’s warrants for the release of the two men issued by the two defendants served on its headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, but that it did not release Sowore and Bakare because there was no lawyer to receive them.
Falana, in a statement sent to our correspondent on Friday, stated that the DSS decided not to release his two clients to his lawyers who waited in vain for not less than four hours at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
It was confirmed by our correspondent that the trio of three lawyers – Stanley Imhanruor, Effiong Inihebe and Marshal Abubakar, were at the DSS office to serve the release warrants on the agency in anticipation of returning home with the two men on Thursday to no avail.
Falana said on Friday that the DSS having acknowledged the service of the warrants for his clients’ release, two lawyers from his law firm would be at the DSS office to take the two detainees home on Saturday.
Falana stated,
Quote
“On November 6, 2019, the bailiff of the Federal High Court in Abuja wanted to serve the reproduction warrants issued by the court on the Director-General of the State Security Service.
“But the SSS asked the bailiff to call back at 10.00 am on November 7, 2019.
“The bailiff did and served the reproduction warrants on the DG of the SSS.
“Upon acknowledging the service of the reproduction warrants, the SSS assured the bailiff and lawyers from the defence team that our clients would be released yesterday (Thursday).
“But the SSS decided not to release our clients to our lawyers who waited in vain for not less than four hours.
“When Sowore said that he would not make a statement without first consulting with me, the SSS management called me on phone on August 8, 2019.
Assuming the SSS had wanted to release our clients, the management would have contacted me.
“It is pertinent to point out that the meaning of reproduction warrant issued by a trial court is that the defendants be produced for the purpose of releasing them having met their bail conditions.
“In the instant case, the Federal High Court did not order the SSS to hand over Messrs Sowore and Bakare to any person but to produce them for the purpose of releasing them having met the suffocating bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.
“Even though the SSS disobeyed the order of Justice Taiwo Taiwo for the release of Mr. Sowore on September 24, 2019, it has announced its readiness to comply with the order of Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and Bakare from illegal custody.
“While thanking the Nigerian people for demanding for unconditional compliance with the orders of the Federal High Court we have directed two lawyers from our law firm to contact the management of the SSS for the release of our clients at 10.00 am on November 9, 2019.”
“But the SSS asked the bailiff to call back at 10.00 am on November 7, 2019.
“The bailiff did and served the reproduction warrants on the DG of the SSS.
“Upon acknowledging the service of the reproduction warrants, the SSS assured the bailiff and lawyers from the defence team that our clients would be released yesterday (Thursday).
“But the SSS decided not to release our clients to our lawyers who waited in vain for not less than four hours.
“When Sowore said that he would not make a statement without first consulting with me, the SSS management called me on phone on August 8, 2019.
Assuming the SSS had wanted to release our clients, the management would have contacted me.
“It is pertinent to point out that the meaning of reproduction warrant issued by a trial court is that the defendants be produced for the purpose of releasing them having met their bail conditions.
“In the instant case, the Federal High Court did not order the SSS to hand over Messrs Sowore and Bakare to any person but to produce them for the purpose of releasing them having met the suffocating bail conditions imposed on them by the trial court.
“Even though the SSS disobeyed the order of Justice Taiwo Taiwo for the release of Mr. Sowore on September 24, 2019, it has announced its readiness to comply with the order of Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and Bakare from illegal custody.
“While thanking the Nigerian people for demanding for unconditional compliance with the orders of the Federal High Court we have directed two lawyers from our law firm to contact the management of the SSS for the release of our clients at 10.00 am on November 9, 2019.”
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