Just Before You Detain Sowore By Evans Ufeli

It has come to our notice at Cadrell Advocacy Centre that Comrade Omoyele Sowore – publisher Sahara Reporters, has been arrested by men of the State Security Services at the early hours of Saturday, the 3rd of August, 2019.

The said arrest is not unconnected to the planned nationwide protest against bad governance, insecurity, corruption and the host of other socio-economic vices.

The convener of the planned protest – #RevolutionNow; Sowore is a Nigerian. Every Nigerian under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended has the right to freedom of expression. That freedom is exercisable under the bounds of law and Sowore has not contrvene any of these laws. 

It must be stated here therefore that Sowore has not committed any offense to warrant his arrest by the state security service. The said arrest is thereby declared unlawful. The state security services officers are hereby implored to release him forthwith in the interest of justice.

Just before you detain Sowore, look at Nigeria and the very lethargic way the government of Muhammadu Buhari has led and ruin this country. The level of insecurity – herdsmen’s killings, insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other social vices. The government hasn’t addressed these issues because they are completely overwhelmed by the multiple-faceted and concurrent attacks from the enemies of the state. It’s sad really. 

Government target, therefore, should be to get a hold of the situation by putting up formidable resistance against these vices and the perpetrators, to curtail the hoodlums therefrom order than calling for the arrest of law-abiding Nigerians exercising their fundamental rights as citizens.

Mr. President, just before you detain Sowore, call the Fulani herdsmen to order, these are your kinsmen and they have killed more people in Nigeria unfortunately than in any other situation we have ever faced in the history of Nigeria. Nigeria under your watch has declined retrievable and the obscurity your lack of tact and administrative lukewarmness has brought us under severe torture.

Just before you detain Sowore, think of how you overthrew the democratically elected government of Shehu Sagari in Nigeria on the 31st of December 1983 and the waton dictator you became thereafter. Nigerians equally suffered under that phase of her history because you brought pain and anguish. You contested election in 2003, 2007 and 2011 respectively and you lost. There was protest after these defeats spearheaded by your supporters and Nigerians were slaughtered in their thousands in many quarters. No one called for your arrest. You got away with these atrocities.

Just before you detain Sowore, think of your party’s manifesto and tell me one project you have accomplished since 2015. There are none. You had better watch your decision. People are dying, the economy is in shambles and the state of the Nation is nothing to write home about. Perhaps you need this protest more than Sowore. Why is Nigeria failing? How can we write the wrongs? Work it out. People are tired.

While we wait for you to do this direct the DG of the SSS to release Sowore with immediate effect so as to reduce the tension in the polity. We shall await for your positive response but we are not going back on the planned protest. Just so you know. 

Evans Ufeli is a Legal Practitioner and  the DG Cadrell Advocacy Centre and he wrote this from England.