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Sowore vs DSS: Malami Denies Receiving Letter From US Lawmakers

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Malami
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The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has denied reports that he received a letter from US lawmakers condemning the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore.

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

This was following Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu’s ruling ordering DSS to release him in the next 24 hours.

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

The DSS later denied reports that its operatives invaded the courtroom to arrest Sowore.

The rearrest of the activist had drawn widespread condemnations both locally and internationally.

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Following pressure from the international community, AGF Malami directed the DSS to transfer Sowore’s case file to his office.

Naija News understands the directive was contained in a letter dated 11th December 2019 and addressed to the Director-General of the State Security Services, National Headquarters Abuja.

Reports had emerged that US lawmakers had written to AGF Malami warning the President Muhammadu Buhari administration against the danger of disobeying the rule of law by the continued detention of Sowore.

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In a statement, the Media aide to Malami, Dr Umar Gwandu, stated that if such letter was sent it would have been given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and not the office of the Justice Ministry.

“Foreign policy conventions do not support direct correspondence between the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and
serving legislators of a foreign country,” the statement reads.

“Attorney-General of the Federation finds media reports on the purported claim of such correspondence to his office, peddled by some unscrupulous elements in the society, as not only inappropriate but inaccurate.

“It is essential to put in the record that the so-called letter has not been received at the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN as at the close of work on Friday, 20th December 2019”