THE FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has on Monday ordered the remand of the Publisher of Sahara Reporters and #RevolutionNow Convener, Omoyele Sowore along with his co-defendant Olawale Bakare in the Department of State Security DSS custody.
The Presiding Judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu gave the ruling after reading to them seven counts of treason, cyberstalking, abusing president, money laundering among others.
Sowore and Bakare, however, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read by the Judge.
Defendant’s counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) maintained that the arraignment should not be allowed to proceed because the Department of State Services, had been keeping them in custody since August 3 and has not allowed the defendants to consult their lawyers since the charges had been filed.
Olumide-Fusika also added that the court should not allow the arraignment to proceed since the Department of State Security refused to obey the court order on September 24, 2019, that ordered the release of Sowore.
Prosecution council led by Hassan Liman pleaded to the court to dismiss the objection on the ground that what was more important was that the defendants had been served with the charges.
Liman also added that the order for the release of the defendants had lapsed since the defendants had been produced in court for arraignment.
However, Olumide prayed to the court to allow the bail earlier granted to Sowore continue and Bakare granted a fresh bail.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said the bail earlier granted Sowore was not given on the charges on which he was arraigned on Monday, that a fresh bail had to be applied for.
She added that if she would have to grant them fresh bail, it had to be based on the formal written application and not oral.
Ojukwu asked the defendants counsel to file a formal bail application, and adjourned the hearing to Friday.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94