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Sowore: DSS Apologised For Invading Courtroom – Falana

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Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has claimed that the Department of State Services (DSS) apologised for invading the court to rearrest Omoyele Sowore.

Naija News reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday night had released Sowore after spending 124 days in detention.

This was following a court ruling ordering DSS to release him in the next 24 hours.

However, the secret police on Friday morning re-arrested Sowore in the premises of the Federal High court, Abuja and reportedly took the activist to the DSS headquarters

Speaking on TVC, Femi Falana said the DSS had apologized to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu over the invasion of her courtroom.

According to Sowore’s counsel, a DSS lawyer, Hassan Liman and an officer who led the team “profusely” apologized to the judge in her chambers.

“When the court proceedings had been disrupted, the trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu summoned the lead prosecution and defence counsel, I was already outside when I was informed,” Falana said.

“My colleague who was informed that my clients were about been arrested had left the court had to be called on the phone to come back and we met with the judge.

“She expressed her dismay over the development and over the illegal occupation of her courtroom. Their lawyer, Hassan Liman SAN apologized to the judge and claimed total ignorance of the unfortunate development. She summoned the most senior officer of DSS who came and I know his name but won’t mention it here.

“The judge challenged him, he wanted to deny their involvement in the court but the judge said I have my CCTV I would replay what happened in the court, then the officer apologized profusely for the armed invasion of her court.

“At this stage, the judge ordered him and the lawyer to remove their men from her court, it was at that stage the officers were withdrawn from the court because Sowore was still in the court and they wanted to take him away.

“Listen, you do not arrest anybody in the premises of the court because the business of the day must be concluded and the person would have to move out of the court premises, so to say we were not there then where were you?

“And if you were sure Sowore’s friends stage-managed the physical brutalization which didn’t you arrest them?”