Court to hear Sowore, Bakare’s N1bn suits against DSS boss, AGF

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, fixed March 25 for the hearing of the N1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare, over their alleged illegal detention prior to their release in December 2019.

Sowore and Bakare, who are being prosecuted by the Federal Government on charges of treasonable felony, had in November 2019, instituted their separate suits against the Director-General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami.



Operatives of the DSS arrested Sowore in Lagos on August 2, 2019, and Bakare in Osogbo, Osun State, on August 5, 2019, for organising a protest tagged #RevolutionNow, which the Federal Government alleged was aimed at toppling the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

Despite being granted bail on two occasions by different judges, the defendants were only released in December 2019 when domestic and international pressures mounted on the government to obey court orders.

At the resumed hearing of their fundamental rights enforcement suits on Wednesday, Justice Inyang Ekwo in separate proceedings fixed the hearing of the two suits for March 25 after granting the applications for some processes filed out of time by parties.

Sowore was present at Wednesday’s proceedings but Bakare was absent.

Explaining Bakare’s absence, their lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, said he had been confined in Osogbo, Osun State, by an order of the court granting him bail in respect of the charges.