Court gives DSS 24 hours to release Omoyele Sowore

Court gives DSS 24 hours to release Sowore

By : Bridget Onochie

Date: 5 December 2019 10:49am WAT

Convener of "#Revolution Now" Omoyele Sowore arrives at the courtroom during his arraignment for charges against the government at the Federal High Court in Abuja, on September 30, 2019. - Nigeria's high court ordered on September 30, 2019, a former presidential candidate remanded in custody after he was charged with plotting treason over calls for a "revolution" in the West African nation.†Omoyele Sowore, a fierce critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been held since August by the Department of State Services (DSS) secret police after urging protests under the online banner "#RevolutionNow". (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON / AFP)

A federal high court in Abuja Thursday ordered Nigeria’s secret police to release the publisher of SaharaReporters within 24 hours.

The court also awarded N100,000 against the prosecution for failing to comply with court orders requesting the release of Sowore and for not serving the defense counsel with necessary documents early enough.

The penalty, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said, must be paid to the defendants before the commencement of trial. The judge consequently adjourned hearing till Friday.