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Wednesday, February 19, 2025
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Police detains Sowore after rejecting bail conditions

By Chidera Oma

Former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been taken into Nigeria Police Force (NPF) custody after rejecting the bail conditions set by the law enforcement agency.

This came barely 5-hours after he refused to accept the NPF’s bail conditions, stating that he had turned down a condition that required him to present a Level 17 Permanent Secretary.

The human rights activist, who disclosed this through his social media handle on Monday, vowed to remain in detention until charged to court, maintaining that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

He said, ” Its a wrap, the Nigeria Police Force is holding me in custody until further notice following my refusal to accept their illegal bail condition”.

Sowore had earlier honored an invitation by the police over his exposé on officers allegedly extorting motorists along Ikeja, Lagos State but was held after questioning while demanding he surrender his international passports.

However, the former presidential candidate decline noting that he will not compromise his innocence and dignity.

” The PoliceNG team assigned to my case has informed me that the DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi, has reevaluated my bail conditions, necessitating the production of a level 16 civil servant and the surrender of my international passport, a condition I have declined outright ”

Sowore’s legal counsel, Femi Falana (SAN) has also thrown his weight behind his client, citing a Court of Appeal ruling in Dasuki v. Director-General.

in his letter addressed to the DIG, Falana said, “Thanks for reducing the bail condition of Mr. Omoyele Sowore to a surety of level 16. However, I wish to point out that such bail condition has been declared illegal by the Court of Appeal in the case of Dasuki V. Director-General, S.S.S. [2020]10 NWLR PT.1731 PG. 136-143 where Adah JCA (now JSC) held as follows”

“Let me quickly say that of concern it is to us that as a court we must be ready and sensitive enough not to allow or do anything that will run foul of the law. The issue of involving civil servants or Public Officers in the Public Service of the Federation and the State in bail of people accused of criminal offences has never been the practice in Nigeria or any part of the civilized world”

“It was an oversight on our part to allow it in. Our Civil and Public Service Rules do not have any room for it. Expecting a Level 16 Servant to own property worth N100,000,000, will be running counter to the Public Service Rules and by extension the war against corruption”

“It is in this respect that I will act ex debito justitiae to ensure that the aspect of involving serving Public Servant below the status of Level 16 Officer in either the state or Public Service of the Federation or any of its agencies be removed and I so order.”

According to the police, Sowore is being investigation for “resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful order, acts intended to cause grievous harm or prevent arrest, compelling action by intimidation, reckless & negligent acts, refusal to assist public servant and cyberstalking in which your name featured, prominently”.

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