OMOYELE Sowore, Publisher of Sahara Reporters and Convener of #RevolutionNow protest has raised alarm over suspected moves by the Federal Government to effect his rearrest.
Sowore claimed that, this time, his arrest would be perfected by the Nigerian military as there are purported plans by the government to secure a court order through John Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC) for his arrest.
The activist revealed that the new move by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration surfaced following Sahara Reporters’ story exposing how Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President contracted the COVID19 pandemic.
“Folks! It is important to inform you that we are facing some unusual circumstances, and the days ahead might be very tense and difficult, but we will conquer,” Sowore wrote in a statement shared online.
“Following the revelation by SaharaReporters that the Chief of Staff. Abba Kyari contracted Corona Virus and subsequent revelations about the criminal conducts and negligence that has brought Nigeria to the nadir of this global pandemic, the Buhari regime today sent some high powered delegation to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria to help procure a judge to grant a detention order against me.”
Sowore expressed concerns that after his anticipated arrest, he would be tortured and allegedly infected with COVID-19 virus.
According to him, the information had leaked to his lawyers, who also made known of the new plan and the need to prepare for a possible government action.
“This was leaked to our lawyers a few minutes ago. The plan this time is to use the Nigerian Army for the sinister plot.
The plan is to obtain a court order and then send soldiers to shoot up my residence in Abuja by claiming that I resisted arrest with armed colleagues.”
“If I am arrested alive they would take me to an Army Barracks in Abuja to be tortured and /or infected with COVID-19. I am not raising the alarm to scare anyone, it is to inform our compatriots that we should brace for difficult days ahead,” he said.
However, he expressed hope, saying that his arrest could trigger a better fortune for the country and possibly end all forms of ‘brutal repression’ and harrasement by government authorities.
“I am urging all to stand firm, unbowed and unbroken.”
Sowore has been labelled anti-Buhari by most supporters of the current administration.
He was arrested by the men of the State Security Service (SSS) from the hotel where he lodged on the eve of day scheduled for #revolutionnow protest.
Sowore was later detained, taken to court, rearrested before he was eventually released on bail.
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin