By Adedapo Adesanya
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has taken over the case of the #RevolutionNow protest convener, Mr Omoyele Sowere, from the Department of the State Services (DSS), following the recent manhandling of the journalist in the court premises in Abuja.
A statement issued on Friday by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, (who is also the Minister of Justice), Dr Umar Gwandu, said a letter was sent to the Director-General of DSS, Mr Yusuf Bichi, through the Solicitor-General of the Federation (SGF), Mr Dayo Apata (SAN), directing the secret police chief to promptly forward case files of the suspect to the AGF office.
The letter sent by the SGF, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, was a response to an earlier September 9, 2019 letter sent to the AGF.
“The Solicitor-General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, who signed the letter, referred to a letter from the DSS office on September 9, 2019.
“The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice upon a further review of the case, has directed the immediate takeover of the prosecution of all charges in respect of Omoyole Sowore by the Federal Ministry of Justice, in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” the statement read in parts.
The request for the case files of the case means that the office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice will take over the case from the security agency moving forward.
Business Post had reported that on December 6, operatives of the DSS invaded premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja to re-arrest Mr Sowore who had been released by the agency less than 24 hours ago.
Mr Sowore had met all his bail conditions, but the DSS kept him in their custody. The court had to give the agency 24 hours to release the suspect.
Modupe Gbadeyanka