The Federal Government has arraigned the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Sowore, the publisher of online news platform Sahara Reporters, was arraigned on Monday alongside his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare.
The duo were brought to the court by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) through the backdoor.
Some supporters of the activist who were outside waiting to catch a glimpse of him did not get to see Sowore.
Spotting a white shirt, Sowore was all smiles as he cheered a few of his supporters who made it into the courtroom.
Concise News recalls that the Federal Government had filed charges bordering on treasonable felony and money laundering against the publisher of SaharaReporters.
Sowore, who was also the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), is charged alongside Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate, in a seven-count charge filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The Department of State Services (DSS), who are currently detaining Sowore, had claimed that the publisher of SaharaReporters was involved in acts of terrorism and plotted to topple the government; allegations he has since denied.
In the charges filed on Friday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), accused the duo of committing conspiracy to commit a treasonable felony in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act by allegedly staging “a revolution campaign on September 5, 2019, aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
They are also alleged to have actually committed the offence of reasonable felony in breach of Section, 4(1)(c) of the Criminal Code Act, by using the platform of Coalition for Revolution, on August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, to staged the #RevolutionNow protest allegedly aimed at removing the President.
Malami also accused Sowore of involving in cybercrime offences in violation of section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, by “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network, which you knew to be false, for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Recall that the DSS continues to hold Sowore in custody in violation of the court order granting him bail six days ago.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who earlier on August 8, granted the DSS permission to hold the activist for 45, had on September 24, granted him bail.
Despite meeting the bail condition on September 25, Sowore has not been released by the DSS.
