Court Refuses to Hear Sowore’s Application Contesting His Detention

By Uche Mbah

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused to hear the application filed by Femi Falana, Counsel to Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of Sahara Reporters ans convener of RevolutionNow protest, sayi ng it ia already being handled by a court of coordinate Jurisdiction.

According to the presiding judge, Justice Evelyn Maha, the case is already before Justice Taiwo Taiwo, and her entertaining it will amount to reviewing the order of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

Recall that Justice Taiwo Taiwo had ordered the detention of Sowore for 45 days in the first instant to enable the Directorate of State Services, DSS, to investigate their allegations of treason. The DSS had asked for 90 days.

Sowore had challenged the use of the DSS in his detention, claiming that the DSS was not listed as one of the agencies that can detain him as stipulated by section 40 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, as amended.

“Although we are not unaware that the Department of State Service (DSS) is listed in Section 40 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, we submit that the DSS is not a juristic person having not been created by any Act of the National Assembly,” Falana wrote in the suit he filed on behalf of Sowore.