The Presidency in Nigeria has said that it is wrong for some international news organisations to describe the release of the Convener of RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, as that of a journalist.
TheGiant reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) Tuesday evening released Sowore and former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki.
The former NSA’s release was confirmed by his lead counsel Ahmed Raji (SAN) at about 8::11 pm
It was learned that the two were released after the President Muhammadu Buhari asked the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN), make the move.
But Buhari’s media aide Malam Garba Shehu said in statement Tuesday evening said that Sowore was detained and later released not due to his work as a journalist but because he called for a revolution to “overthrow the democratically elected government of Nigeria.”
This media organisation understands that while the Nigerian government is prosecuting Dasuki for alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and dishonest release of funds to the tune of N33.3 billion, Sowore is being prosecuted for alleged treason among other “offences.”
Shehu said, “The Presidency wishes to clarify the release on bail of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the February 2019 elections, Omoyele Sowore
“Some international news outlets have mistakenly been describing his release as that of a journalist.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Buhari administration has never, since coming into office in 2015, detained a journalist, seized copies of newspapers or shut down a medium of information.
“Sowore called for a revolution to overthrow the democratically elected government of Nigeria. He did so on television, and from a privileged position as the owner of a widely read digital newspaper run from the United States of America.
“He founded an organisation, Revolution Now, to launch, in their own words, “Days of Rage”, with the publicised purpose of fomenting mass civil unrest and the elected administration’s overthrow.
“No government will allow anybody to openly call for destabilization in the country and do nothing.
“The government believes strictly in observing the rule of law but must safeguard public security and will not allow trouble makers to incite the public and cause a breakdown of law and order.’’
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