The Federal Government has opted to discontinue the treasonable felony case against Omoyele Sowore, the outspoken publisher of Sahara Reporters.
The decision was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja through a notice of discontinuance filed by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The notice, dated February 14, cited the powers conferred upon Fagbemi by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 as the basis for the discontinuation of the trial.
It reads: “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019″
The case stemmed from the arrest of Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, during the #RevolutionNow protest organized by Sowore in August 2019.
The government’s decision to halt the trial marks a significant development in the legal battle that ensued following their arrest.
Reacting to the discontinuance of the case, Sowore took to the microblogging platform, X, to express his sentiments.
He stated, “Today, we have been vindicated. On one front, the Nigerian government has terminated its own case against me, but we will not terminate our struggle for justice and liberty of our compatriots.”
He continued, “We warned the Buhari regime and those who followed his ruinous path that they will face ultimate disgrace before long. We salute our revolutionary comrades.”
