The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has directed the Department of State Service (DSS) to forward Omoyele Sowore’s case file to its office.
Umar Gwandu, spokesman to the AGF, disclosed this in a statement on Friday morning.
The AGF said the directive for the DSS to forward the case file in respect of the charge pending against the convener of RevolutionNow Movement before the Federal High Court in Abuja, to his office was for speedy dispensation of justice.
Malami, who ordered the Federal Ministry of Justice to immediately take over the prosecution of all charges against Sowore, in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), maintained that the Federal Government was committed to respecting the sanctity of the rule of law, protecting the virtues of human rights and ensuring speedy dispensation of justice in the matter.
“As part of deliberate efforts to probe emerging issues related to the recent imbroglio related to Omoyele Sowore’s case and for speedy dispensation of justice, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has requested that the case file in respect of charge pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja be forwarded to his office”.
The request for the transfer of the case to the office of the AGF was contained in a letter dated December 11, 2019, and addressed to the Director-General of the DSS, National Headquarters, Abuja.
The Solicitor General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, who signed the letter, referred to an initial letter the DSS wrote to the AGF on September 9, 2019.
According to the statement, Apata’s letter to the secret service, read: “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)”.
It said the letter requested the DSS DG to “promptly forward all the case files” in respect of Omoyele Sowore to the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice.
Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare also known as Mandate are facing a seven-count treasonable felony charge.
In the charge marked FHC/ ABJ/CR/235/2019, Sowore and Bakare are accused of conspiracy, money laundering, cyber-stalking and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since calling for a revolution in Nigeria, Sowore has been in custody of the DSS following his arrest on the eve of the proposed protest.
There have been several court rulings ordering DSS to released the Sahara Reporters publisher and Bakare but the secret police had declined them all.
