The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Sunday, said he did not receive any letter on the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore, Convener of #RevolutionNow Movement from six US lawmakers.
The minister who stated this in a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Umar Gwandu, described reports on the US legislators’ letter as inappropriate and inaccurate.
Recall that a letter signed by six American legislators, demanding the AGF to do the right thing concerning Sowore had been widely publicised in some section of the media.
Robert Menendez (senator), Charles Schumer (senator), Cory Booker (senator), Christopher Coons (senator), Bill Pascrell (congressman) and John Gotheirmer (congressman), reportedly wrote Malami expressing concerns about Sowore’s re-arrest.
“Disturbing videos of the melee in court are circulating, which appear to show armed agents, in court and Mr.
Sowore being placed in choke hold after which he was re-detained by the DSS, though no new charges have since been filed to justify this re-detention. We understand that his case has since been placed within your purview.
“Mr Attorney General, we request that you take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of Mr. Sowore while he is held in government custody; work to facilitate speedy and fair resolution to the circumstances of his re-detention; and ensure he receives a legally sound and credible trial, ” the letter read.
READ ALSO: Sowore: SERAP Calls On US President To Intervene
However, in the statement issued by Gwandu, Malami noted that Nigeria’s foreign policy conventions did not allow such interactions between the AGF and serving legislators of foreign countries.
The statement advised the American lawmakers to direct their correspondence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs adding, “the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, did not receive such a letter. The Attorney General of the Federation finds media reports on the purported claim of such, correspondence to his office, peddled by some unscrupulous elements in the society, as not only inappropriate but inaccurate.
“It is essential to put on the record that the so-called letter has not been received at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN at the close of the work on Friday, December 20, 2019.”
Recall that Sowore and his ally, Olawale Bakare, were arrested in August 2019 by the Department of State Services (DSS) and in September they were charged with treasonable felony among other offences, for calling for a nationwide protest tagged #RevolutionNow to kick against what they termed ‘bad governance.’
After several orders for their release made by the Federal High Courts in Abuja were ignored, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on December 5, gave the DSS a 24-hour ultimatum to release Sowore .
The Security operative obeyed the order only to turn around on December 6, to re-arrest Sowore.
Following the global outcry that greated the invasion of the court by the DSS operatives while re-arresting Sowore, Malami took over the prosecution of the case from the DSS.
