We’ll challenge Sowore’s detention order, says Falana

Mr Femi Falana (SAN), who is Sowore’s lawyer, indicated to The PUNCH on Thursday, that he would file an application to challenge the order by a Federal High Court in Abuja that granted the Department of State Services permission to detain the publisher of SaharaReporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, for 45 days.

Falana, who was unwilling to give many details, said Sowore had as of Wednesday envisaged the Thursday’s ruling and had instructed that it should be challenged.

The senior lawyer said, “I saw him yesterday (Wednesday) when he had already envisaged that the order for his detention would be granted. So he had already given us the instruction to challenge it.”

Despite this, many organisations including the European Union, Afenifere, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Free Nigeria Movement and senior lawyers including Mike Ozekhome (SAN), faulted the order.

While SERAP said it would petition the United Nations Human Rights Council on the continued detention of Sowore, Afenifere and Ozekhome called for the unconditional release of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2019 presidential poll. They described the order as unjust.

(Punch)