By Akinwale Kasali
The embarrassing re-arrest of Omoleye Sowore inside a Federal High Court has claimed a victim.
The Wole Soyinka Center for investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, has rescinded its decision to honour Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in protest against Sowore’s re-arrest.
Sowore was re-arrested by the DSS, less than 24 hours after the Agency released him from a-125-day detention. The Agency had repeatedly refused to release him on bail, in disobedience to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu’s order. It was forced to release him when Ojukwu gave the Agency a 24-hour to release him. But he was was inexplicably re-arrested when he went to Ojukwu’s court to report compliance by the DSS.
His re-arrest sparked outrage worldwide, and many were shocked that the Vice President, a Professor of Law, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has said not a word. Instead, the Presidency issued a statement in support of the DSS.
According to Motunrayo Alaka, the Centre’s Director, in a statement released on Monday, the withdrawal aligned with protests against the repression of freedom of speech in recent times. Osinbajo, it alleges, is part of.
Alaka stressed that, especially, the incidence between the DSS and Sowore on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja was the limit.
Said the Centre “the Vice President himself shares this awareness and the inappropriateness of the award at this point, because he is part of the government that has failed to respect the rule of law and the fundamental human rights of its citizen, despite the VP being a lawyer”.
The media has been reporting reactions on the non-reaction of Osinbajo and six other lawyers in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet. They are accused of keeping mum over acts of human rights violations, allegedly, carried out by the current government.
Sowore is facing a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, fraud, cyber-stalking and insulting President Buhari.
On different occasions, the court had ruled that he be granted bail, but the DSS failed to obey the court orders.
He was arrested on August 3 by the SSS for planning a protest popularised with the hashtag #RevolutionNow.
The WSCIJ award presentation programme is holding today at NECA House, Agidingbi, Lagos, by 6p.m. Over 13 journalists from print, online, television, radio, photo, and editorial cartoon categories will be celebrated.
It is an annual event, scheduled for every December 9 of every year, in commemorating the World Anti-corruption day and the World Human Rights Day to highlight the importance of investigative reporting as a tool for accountability, good governance and social justice in a democracy.
