A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has denied the request of the Federal Government for an ex-parte order to keep convener of RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, for at least 90 days.
The human rights crusader was picked up in a Lagos hotel in the early hours of Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services and has been kept in custody ever since despite growing calls for his immediate release.
The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had accused Sowore of committing a treasonable act for calling on Nigerians to pour out on the streets on August 5, 2019 to protest against his government’s failure to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Many of the protesters, who took to the streets in major cities across the country were met with harassment and arrest from security operatives.
In its application on Tuesday, the FG through the DSS claimed that the 90-day window would enable it to conclude investigations into acts of terrorism it is accusing Sowore of.