The Nigerian Government is mounting pressure on the Acting Chief Judge of Federal High Court, John Tsoho, to assign the case of pro-democracy campaigner and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, it has been found.
BREAKING: FG to drag judge before NJC for granting @YeleSowore bail, according to @TheNationNews
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) September 28, 2019
Really? On what legal grounds?
If this is true, this will be unconstitutional & illegal, and amount to an attack on judicial independence
Let's be clear: we'll fight for this judge
The activist, who has continued to be held by the Department of State Services despite Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering his release on bail on Tuesday, was arrested in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to express their anger at the poor state of governance in the country.
According to findings by Sahara Reporters on Saturday, Tsoho has come under immense pressure from the government to assign the case file to enable President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to amend the charges earlier brought against the activist.
The DSS had on September 21 filed a seven-count charge against Sowore bordering on treasonable felony, cyberstalking and money laundering.
However, observers from around the world had condemned the charges, describing it as baseless and a deliberate attempt to silence Sowore’s and other voices of dissent in the country.