The Oodua Peoples Congress on Monday took a swipe at the Nigerian Government over the continued detention of pro-democracy campaigner and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Oguntimehin, the OPC said the prolonged detention of Sowore and government’s refusal to obey court order calling for his release was nothing but lawlessness.
The statement reads, “It is obvious that the Nigerian Government is playing politics with Sowore’s detention.
“Where on earth does a democratically elected president flouts the law and refuses court orders?
“The Nigerian Government is treating the judiciary with contempt and it is sad.
“With democracy under President Muhammadu Buhari, the number of government detainees are growing by the day.
“Before the new judgment, there had been an existing court order for his release yet the government didn’t blink an eye on the issue and Nigerians have been reacting because the situation is affecting the image of the country in the international community.
“We cannot continue to fold our arms and behave as if nothing is wrong. If the government continue this way, that means we are heading towards becoming a lawless nation and that portends a grave danger for this nation.
“With the new ruling, it is obvious that the government is using the institution and the paraphernalia of office of the presidency to suppress human rights and cow oppositions. The world is watching.”
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a ruling on Monday ordered that Sowore be remanded in custody until Friday, October 4 for his bail hearing.
This was almost one week after Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the same court ordered the Department of State Services to release Sowore on bail.
Despite meeting his bail condition the next day, the DSS refused to free Sowore, drawing condemnation from around the world.
Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to express their frustration at the poor state of governance in the country.
