Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja has struck out charges of treasonable felony brought against the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, by the Federal Government.
Justice Nwite’s ruling came on Monday, following the filing of a notice of discontinuance by the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, last week. The notice cited constitutional provisions and other enabling powers for the decision to discontinue the charges against Sowore.
During the court proceedings, Justice Nwite emphasized that the case was essentially starting afresh before him, leading to the decision to strike out the charges. Consequently, the court ordered the Department for State Services (DSS) to return three phones seized from Sowore, his passport, and the sum of N10,000 collected from him, along with a phone collected from the second defendant.
Sowore and his co-defendant Olawale Bakare had been arraigned before the Federal High Court Abuja in 2019, following a protest rally staged in Abuja under the banner of “Revolution Now.”
This ruling marks a significant turn in the legal battle surrounding Sowore and the #RevolutionNow movement, highlighting the complexities and dynamics of freedom of expression and dissent in Nigeria’s legal landscape.
