A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the State Security Service, SSS, also known DSS, an application to detain the convener of #RevolutionNow Protest, Omoyele Sowore in their custody beyond the constitutional requirement.
Sowore was arrested by armed men of the DSS from his apartment in Lagos on Saturday.
In his ruling, on Thursday, August 8, 2019, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said he will grant the application “only for a period of 45 days”.
The DSS had earlier on Tuesday approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, seeking leave to detain Sowore, for 90 days to enable it to carry out “further investigation”.
G.O Agbadua, appeared for the DSS in the matter.
In his ruling on Thursday, Taiwo Taiwo, the presiding judge, held that he had to grant the application, “only to the extent” of allowing the security agency to keep the respondent in custody for the 45 days for the applicant to conclude its investigation.
There was no counter-argument from the defendant’s legal team.
He also ruled that although the DSS had asked for 90 days in line with section 27(1) of the terrorism act, “may” in the section is a “directory” which gives the court the discretion to decide the number of days to give the applicants.
This means the DSS is at liberty to apply for a renewal if it needs more time to conclude the investigation after the expiration of the 45 days.
According to him, Sowore’s detention will begin to count from August 8, and would be subject to renewal after the expiration on September 21.
Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of citizen reporter website, SaharaReporters, is the organiser of the movement aimed at forcing a change in the structure of the government in Nigeria. He is also a former presidential candidate in the 2019 elections.
