CUPP seeks sack of DSS operatives who defiled court

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has condemned yesterday’s re-arrest of the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), describing it as “treason against constitutional governance.”

In a statement issued in Owerri yesterday evening by the spokesperson of the group, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, CUPP said the sanctity of the court was utterly desecrated by the DSS operatives and called for the arrest and prosecution of all those who participated in the operation.

The statement said: “The Nigerian opposition coalition, CUPP, has screamed over the DSS attack on Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu and Mr. Omoyele Sowore inside the Federal High Court while the court was in session. The serenity as well as sanctity of the court was utterly desecrated by the men of the DSS who, believing they are above the law, launched their attack even while the court was in session.

“The arrest of Sowore right inside the court room while trial was on is treason against constitutional governance. This attack is the worst level of contemptuous act ever witnessed in Nigeria’s democracy and could not have happened without the express approval and backing of the Presidency.

It has formally announced the total collapse of democracy and constitutionality, and ushered in a descent into totalitarianism, anarchy and despotism. Nigeria is now officially a Police State.”

The group noted that, “this very attack is worse and graver than the barricading of the National Assembly for which a former Director General of the DSS was summarily sacked.”

“The court is the temple of justice. It is ordinarily the inner chamber of civility that even the military in their decades of rule in Nigeria could not suppress. If the Presidency will claim it did not directly approve the desecration of the Federal High Court in session, we call for the immediate sack of all the officers of the DSS involved in this show of shame. Their superiors who gave the order should also be docked immediately for the contempt in facie curie and sentenced appropriately,” CUPP added.

The group noted that this type of action could only happen where the executive does not have respect for the judiciary, its leadership, structure and powers, adding that they would await the comments and position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria before taking a more formal position on “this abomination.”