Sowore’s Release: DSS Lied – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana SAN, on Friday, faulted the claim by the Department of State Services (DSS) 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 made available to newsmen 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.

According to reports, 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, “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.