…it’s illegal, says Falana
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has announced that the Nigeria Police Force will hold him in custody until further notice.
This followed his refusal to accept their bail conditions, which he described as “illegal”.
Sowore will be taken to the police office located at Abattoir, which was formerly used by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Abuja.
Earlier, he described the bail conditions imposed on him by the Nigerian Police as ridiculous.
The conditions include producing a level 16 civil servant as a surety and surrendering his passport.
Sowore had honoured an invitation by the police over his exposé on officers allegedly extorting motorists in Ikeja, Lagos State.
However, he had outright rejected the bail terms.
Sowore made this known on Monday, via his X handle, saying, “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.
“I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity.”
His legal counsel, Femi Falana (SAN), has backed his stance, citing a Court of Appeal ruling in Dasuki v. Director-General.
Falana stated that such conditions had previously been declared illegal.
Sowore’s confrontation with the authorities followed his long standing activism and investigative efforts, often spotlighting systemic corruption and rights abuses in Nigeria.
Falana, in a letter addressed to the DIG, wrote, ” Dear Hon DIG,
“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,” Falana stated.
