BY Bolanle Olabimtan
The federal government has dropped the treasonable felony charge preferred against Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.
The decision to discontinue the trial was communicated to the federal high court in Abuja via a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 and filed by Lateef Fagbemi, attorney general of the federation (AGF).
The notice 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 federal government had arrested Sowore and Olawale Bakare, the co-defendant, in August 2019, during the #RevolutionNow protest organised by Sowore.
They were accused of treason and attempts to overthrow former President Muhammadu Buhari.
At the court session on Wednesday, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, had threatened to strike out the treasonable felony charge over lack of diligent prosecution by the federal government.
The judge had warned that he was no longer going to grant any adjournments at the instance of the prosecution.
The prosecution had complained that Bakare was at large and prayed the court to issue a warrant of arrest.
However, Marshall Abubakar, counsel to the defendants, had opposed the bail application.
Reacting to the discontinuance of the case, Sowore said: “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”.
“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,” he added on X.
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