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The citizens' clarion call that the Department of State Services should be scrapped forthwith by the act of National Assembly and its operatives from top to bottom debriefed; re-educated, even rusticated or redistributed to other minimally functional paramilitary institutions like the Nigeria Police Force will no doubt heals the nation of the wounds from the vested madness and brutality the secret service has visited on the failed state called Nigeria. 

How best do we describe a beastly secret service or its operatives whose beastiality threatens national cohesion, the nation's constitution and the judiciary, democracy and its majestic ethos? Who need an obsolete self-serving stone age anti-democratic security outfit, with scant methodology on intelligence gathering, lacking in cybernetics sophistry without a single idea on how to tame real and actual security threats to the nation? 

The DSS needs internal purgation, and urgently too. Someone like Peter Afunanya, its spokesperson, should be thrown out of the window for further disgracing an ethically flawed institution which knew next to nothing about intelligence gathering,  solely masquerading as an attack dog for the presidency. 

The conundrum has been why furnish and burnish criminal government with false intelligence reports against the citizens when the real enemy of the state is the same vampire government? I have laboured in the past to educate the DSS and her collaborators that its protective alibi labelled "national security" is a mere subterfuge. The actual name is "regime security" coded as "national security" to defraud and cow uninformed citizens to submission. Citizens must not be given order by lawless secret service that can not differentiate between Boko Haram and social change agents and activists.

Tragically, Peter Afunanya is a poor image maker for the DSS with his amateurish defence and blatant falsehood he puts forward on the several viral videos that signposted the desecration of the hall of justice at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday by the DSS.

Afunanya couldn't hide the fact that doing the bidding of a murderous tyrant is different from protective media anchorage. He could still not give valid reasons or answers as to why the DSS rearrested Omoyele Sowore after less than 24 hours after he was released on bail. 

Like the ostrich that he is, Afunanya buried his head and that of the DSS in the sand without a word on the abduction of the journalist and human rights activist in a bizarre and gangly despotic manner. Afunanya spilled poor half-truth on the secret service disgraceful outing without mentioning the commando-like but shameful exhibition of empty power in the midst of defenceless citizens. 

What's the usefulness of a discredited ethnically cultivated and motivated compromised secret service that could not decipher or detect activities of murderous militias like Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen long before they unleash terror on the nation? What's the DSS's day job when cultists kill themselves and cause mayhem on a daily basis across the country? What inform DSS open contempt for the judiciary and the law, if not misplaced intelligence computation, analysis and misplaced priority? 

It's time the National Assembly revisits the law that established the DSS for taking sadistic pleasure in dehumanising Nigerians. The DSS needs complete restructuring or outright scrapping from its present banality and rescue it away from being an appendage of any president in power or unlisted powerful individuals at the corridors of power. 

Without that, Nigerians would wake up one day and be told that the notorious scofflaw has created her own law courts where they (the DSS) can now do maximum violence to Nigerian citizens, democracy and civilisation. 

Email: ikhideerasmus@gmail.com 

Follow me on Twitter @ikhide_erasmus1

 

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The Imo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists has threatened to boycott activities of the state’s House of Assembly over harassment of its members.

The association said its members were being constantly restrained from covering the plenary despite showing valid identity cards. 

According to reports, the mandatory accreditation imposed by the state assembly had restricted many media houses from gaining access to report the Plenary sessions.

In a letter addressed to Speaker of the Assembly, Chiji Collins, the association head saids  “We, the members of the correspondents’ chapel, are constrained to draw the attention of the Speaker to an ongoing process of restriction on journalists, especially correspondents of national newspapers, radio and television networks from covering the activities of the Imo State House of Assembly.

“From our findings, the action was premised on a mandatory accreditation exercise for journalists for which our members were hardly notified. 

“Since this untoward action, our members who come to the assembly complex with their valid identity cards have several times been embarrassed and harassed by the security personnel attached to the House of Assembly, on the instruction of the leadership. 

“We view this action as a dangerous precedent and if steps are not taken to redress it, we are afraid the legislature under you might be viewed as undermining the freedom of the press and of course, the very norms and essence of constitutional democracy which it pledged to uphold. 

“This restrictive policy, if sustained, would be an unfortunate reminder of the dark days of Nigeria’s repressive juntas. 

“Therefore, we request that, like it is done at the National Assembly and other state houses of assembly, correspondents in Imo State be given unrestricted access to cover the activities of the Imo State House of Assembly because we are major stakeholders in the Imo project.”  

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Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is set to appoint a chairman of the state’s Council of Emirs.

This is coming following the creation of new emirates in the state. 

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Ganduje, Abba Anwar, the governor said the four new emirates created are for the development of the state. 

Ganduje has been in a running battle with the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who was also a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

The new emirates created by the governor include Bichi, Karaye, Rano and Gaya.

Ganduje argued that the law gave him the right to appoint the chairman of the Council of Chiefs, which is the central council for the five first-class emirs, apart from their individual emirate councils.

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The Nigerian Senate has said that it does not have any reason to declare Orji Uzor Kalu’s seat vacant, according to a report by PUNCH.

Kalu was convicted of money laundering and embezzlement of funds while he was governor of Abia State. 

Justice Mohammed Idris sitting at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment over N7.1bn fraud charges against him since 2007 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. 

The former governor and serving senator was convicted alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Jones Udeogu, who served under him as Director of Fnance and Account at the Abia State Government House in Umuahia.  See Also Corruption Court Sentences Orji Kalu To 12 Years Imprisonment Over N7.1bn Fraud 0 Comments 3 Days Ago

The Senate has now said it would not be declaring the seat of Kalu vacant even as he spends his time in prison. 

The Senate said, “There is no reason to declare his seat vacant. This is not the first time that such a thing would happen.

“There is no provision in the constitution that says the seat of any senator facing prosecution or convicted at a lower court should be declared vacant.

“He still has the opportunity to appeal the case.

“Even the tenure of a former governor Joshua Dariye, who has been in prison for some time now, ran its course until the end of the 8th National Assembly. Nobody declared his seat vacant.

 

“The Senate President cannot declare the seat of Kalu vacant. It is against the law."

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The United States Department of State has condemned the rearrest of pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday barely 24 hours after he was released on bail after four months in the detention of Department of State Services.

Sowore was first arrested on August 3, 2019 by the DSS for calling on Nigerians to pour out to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. 

In a post on Twitter on Sunday, the State Department tweeting @StateDRL, said, "We are deeply concerned that #Sowore has been re-detained in #Nigeria shortly after a court ordered he be released on bail. 

"Respect for rule of law, judicial independence, political and media freedom, and due process are key tenets of #democracy."  

The US State Department's position follows similar condemnation by top American lawmakers like Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, who both called for the respect of Sowore's rights and his immediate release. 
 

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The abductors of the two catholic priests kidnapped on Friday in Ondo State have demanded the sum of N100m before they could be set free, SaharaReporters has learnt.

Rev. Fr. Felix Efobi and Rev. Fr. Josephat Nweke of Catholic Diocese of Awka, Anambra State, were both kidnapped on the Owo-Benin Road in Ose Local Council Area of the state.

The two priest were abducted on their way to a wedding ceremony at the Igbatoro area of Akure where they were waylaid and dragged into the bush by the kidnappers.

Rev Fr Leo Aregbesola, Director of Media and Communications of the Ondo Catholic Diocese, who had earlier confirmed the abduction of the two priest on Sunday, said the abductors had reached out to the family.

He said, "The abductors have confirmed that the two priests are with them but they are demanding the sum of N100m as ransom from their families."

He added that they have resulted in prayers to ensure the safe release of the priests from the den of the kidnappers.

However, Femi Joseph, spokesperson for the police in Ondo State, said the Commissioner of Police had directed detectives from the command to swing into action and rescue the two priest from the hands of the kidnappers.

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Yinka Odumakin

Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has knocked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for its defense of the rearrest of Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by the Department of State Services despite being on bail.

The group also condemned the DSS for the invasion of the court. Afenifere claimed the government was becoming totalitarian, condemning the statement issued by the Presidency on why Sowore was rearrested.

Yinka Odumakin, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, in a statement noted that if there was any sign Nigerians needed to know that the country had slipped into the abyss of totalitarian rule, it was the “unfortunate statement by the Presidency on Sowore”.

Afenifere also likened the invasion of the court by the DSS as a “coup against the judiciary”.

The statement reads, “A truly democratic regime would have condemned the barbaric conduct of the DSS in court on Friday with a promise to investigate it.

“But this Presidency ignored the sacrilege of desecration of the temple of justice and went after Sowore whom it describes as a ‘person of interest’ to the DSS.

"Does it occur to them that what DSS did on Friday was a coup against the judiciary?

“The statement shows this administration is far too gone in its way of riding roughshod over all that we hold dear as a nation.

"If Nigerians do not assert constitutionalism with all peaceful and democratic means, this country may well be resting in pieces in the grip of dictatorship and arbitrariness.

“To see our Presidency patronising Boko Haram in the context of Sowore galls and stinks to high heaven.”

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has condemned the Nigerian Government for comparing Omoyele Sowore to a Boko Haram terrorist in defense of his rearrest by operatives of the Department of State Services.

The DSS had stormed the Federal High Court, Abuja, to arrest Sowore but the act was temporarily met with resistance by Sowore's supporters leading to the closure of the court activities.

Sowore was subsequently arrested and is being detained at the headquarters of the DSS.

Backing the rearrest of Sowore despite a court order granting him bail, Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson, in a statement, said Sowore's act is similar to the Boko Haram group that had killed thousands of Nigerians.

He said, "Nigeria is already dealing with an insurgency that has left millions of people displaced and desperate in the North-Eastern region of our country.

"The Boko Haram militants, who are behind the violence, also fancy themselves to be fighting for some sort of revolution.

"Nigerians do not need another spate of lawlessness and loss of lives all in the name of ‘revolution’."

Reacting to the statement by Shehu, SERAP said it unacceptable to compare citizens exercising their human rights with militants killing people and destroying property.

SERAP also said that the government was only trying to discourage Nigerians from criticising the President Buhari-led administration.

SERAP said, "We condemn the statement today by @NigeriaGov issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to President Muhammadu Buhari. To be absolutely clear, Sowore and Bakare are not terrorists.

"It’s unacceptable to compare citizens who are also activists simply exercising their human rights including freedom of expression with militants killing our people and destroying property.

"Freedom of expression is not yet a crime under the Nigerian constitution of 1999 (as amended).

"What is happening to Sowore and Bakare shows clear attempts by the Nigerian authorities to further silence critics, activists and the media while they continue to undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

"This is illustrated through a persistent disobedience of court orders, and as we witnessed last week, the invasion of Justice Ojukwu’s court by the DSS."

SERAP also noted that the persecution of Sowore and Bakare is sending a chilling and unambiguous message to all Nigerians, and is part of a systematic effort to silence independent media and critical voices in Nigeria to prevent public scrutiny of governments at both the Federal and state levels.

It added that the government must act in line with the constitution by not only protecting the people but also complying with the rule of law in the country.

It added, "Nigerian authorities now need to begin to protect citizens’ human rights and the rule of law.

"That should start with the immediate withdrawal of the bogus charges against Sowore and Bakare and the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore from arbitrary detention.

"We are concerned that Nigerian authorities continue to openly scorn the Nigerian constitution and the country’s human rights commitments.

"This concerted attack on the rule of law must stop."

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Femi Falana (SAN), lawyer to rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has said the State Security Services apologised to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for invading her courtroom to arrest Sowore without a warrant. 

Falana said while the invasion was going on, Justice Ojukwu summoned himself and counsel to the Sss, Hasan Liman (SAN), to her chamber to explain what was going on. 

Liman, he said, in turn called the head of the operation, who apologised to Justice Ojukwu and agreed to withdraw his men from the premises, adding that this never happened.

Falana's full account in a statement on Sunday reads, "Our attention has been drawn to the self contradictory press release of the SSS in which an unsuccessful attempt was made to absolve itself of responsibility for the armed invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, in general, and the desecration of Court 7 of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in particular as well as the illegal rearrest of Omoyele Sowore. 

"First, pretending to forget that the abominable desecration of the Federal High Court was covered live by domestic and international media outfits and journlists, some of whom were also direct victims of the gangsterism, barbarism and brutalisation displayed by officers of the Service on Friday, the Service has conducted "eyewitness" accounts of what transpired with the aim of showing that officers of the Service were not involved in the rearrest of Sowore.

"Second, the Service argues on the one hand that the arrest of Sowore was "stage managed" by his supporters in order to give the Service a bad name whilst also admitting at the same time that officers of the Service arrested Sowore outside the court. 

"Having declared that the Service arrested Sowore "outside the court", despite the "stage managing" argument, what the Nigerian people want to see happen is the immediate release of Sowore, pending his trial as ordered by the court.

Indubitable Facts Confirming Desecration Of Court And Rearrest By DSS 

However, the following facts underscore our insistence that the Service was solely responsible for the desecration of the hallowed chambers of the court. 

By the advantage of information technology, the whole world has placed responsibility for the gangsteric desecration of the court on the SSS. 

The SSS cannot extricate itself from the abominable acts of December 6, 2019.

When I informed the court that fresh charges were being filed against our clients and that they could be re-arrested, the prosecution denied any such plan. 

As soon as the case was adjourned, the SSS pounced on Sowore and caused a disruption of the proceedings of the court. 

Having taken over the court room vi et armis, Justice Ojukwu hurriedly rose and asked the registrar to adjourn all other cases. 

After the learned trial judge had risen for the day, she summoned the heads of the prosecution and defence teams to her chambers. 

When the lead prosecutor, Liman Hassan denied knowledge of the invasion of her court, she directed him to invite the head of the SSS team in the court. 

When challenged to justify the invasion of the court, the officer could not. He apologised to Justice Ojukwu on behalf of the SSS. 

The judge then directed the officer to withdraw the SSS operatives from the courtroom. 

The directive was complied with as the operatives withdrew from the courtroom but rushed out to join their colleagues who had taken over the entire court. 

Notwithstanding that the SSS could not produce any warrant of arrest for Sowore, the defence team decided that I should accompany him to the SSS headquarters in view of his physical brutalisation inside the courtroom and the open threat to his life. I did and ensured that he was driven in my car to the SSS headquarters where I handed him over to the officers on duty. Thereafter, I requested for a meeting with the head of the SSS but I was informed that he was not in the office.

Though, ordinarily, officers of the Service do not wear any uniform, on December 6, some of them were in mufti, many were not only armed but also masked while others disguised in lawyer's black and white suit. 

Regardless of the form of appearance, the officers of the Service inside Court 7 were identifiable by their roles and acts of seizing Sowore and pinning him down. It is an utter poor reasoning to say that Sowore's supporters were also those bent on injuring him in order to arrest him. The argument of the Service in this respect is as unfortunate and pitiable as the earlier argument of the Service in respect of the Late Chief

Gani Fawehinmi who was once accused of wanting to set ablaze his own house.

If Sowore's supporters subjected him to such brutalisation in the presence of SSS operatives, why were they not arrested for contravening the provisions of the Anti Torture Act, 2017? Or were the SSS operatives expecting the supporters of a defendant wanted by the state to kill him in their presence?

Before submitting himself for arrest, Sowore had rightly demanded for a warrant of arrest and detention order but the SSS operatives were unable to produce either.

On Rationalisation Of Rearrest By DSS

In rationalising the rearrest of Sowore, which is denied in the same press statement, the Service alleged that Sowore held meetings with some people. Assuming without conceding that Sowore held meetings with some people in Transcorp Hotel as alleged by the SSS, why did the prosecution not inform the trial court that the defendant had breached his bail condition? 

On Claim Of SSS Being Law-abiding 

The SSS says it is a law-abiding institution but why did it refuse to comply with the order of Justice Taiwo Taiwo to release Sowore? Why did the SSS threaten to report the judge to the NJC for granting bail to Sowore? 

Why did the SSS subject the order of Justice Ojukwu for the release of Sowore to its own approval by asking the sureties already verified by the judge to report themselves to it? Why did the SSS wait for the 24-hour ultimatum issued by the trial judge before releasing Sowore and Bakare?

Incidentally, the prosecutor, Liman Hassan, was the counsel to the defendant in the case of FRN vs Air Commodore Mohammed. In that case, the order of Justice Nnamdi Dimgba for the release of the defendant on bail was flouted by the SSS. As if that was not enough, the SSS invaded the home of the judge on October 8, 2016 when the houses of judges accused of corruption were raided. Even though I have never appeared before Justice Dimgba, I have always known him as a judge of impeccable integrity. So, I challenged the SSS for painting an incorruptible judge with the brush of shame. It was after my intervention that the NJC gave the judge a clean bill of health. 

Thereafter, the judge was compelled to withdraw from the case. The SSS thought that it had won but it was a phyrric victory. Thus, Justice John Tsoho (current Chief Judge of the Federal High Court) to whom the case was reassigned, reiterated the orders of Justice Dimgba and proceeded to rule that trial would not commence in the case until the defendant was released from custody. It was at that stage that the SSS complied with the order of the court.

Conclusion

In light of the foregoing, we reiterate our demand for the release of not only Sowore in obedience to court orders, pending the verdict of the court in their trial, we equally call for the release of all other political detainees and criminal suspects who have been admitted to bail pending trial by competent courts. 

Finally, it is common knowledge that this country was ruled by military dictators for about three decades. On no occasion did security operatives invade court premises to arrest political activists inside a courtroom.

Therefore, the bizarre harassment of courts cannot be tolerated under a democratic government that claims to operate under the rule of law.
 

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Nigerians in Diaspora on the platform of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria protested at the headquarters of the World Bank in Washington DC, United States, to present a petition to the President of the global financial institution, David Malpass, requesting them to stop granting loans to the Nigerian Government already indebted to the tune of over $82bn. 

The group later moved to the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and delivered a petition requesting the body to investigate allegations that World Bank officials allegedly receive bribe to grant loans to states and the Nigerian Government.
The petition was supported with 105 pages of 2,266 signatories signed by Nigerians viaChange.org 

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Frederick Odorige said that since writing off Nigeria's $18bn debt by the Paris Club in 2005, the government had continued to borrow at the detriment of Nigerians with very little or nothing on ground to show for it. 

This has been worsened by the fact that they have borrowed Nigeria into being the poverty capital of the world.  

He said, "$460m was reportedly borrowed from China about a decade ago under the guise of using it to install CCTV in the Federal Capital territory. 

"The project was not executed as contracted but our country continue to service that loan. 

"There are no verifiable evidences to show how the $320m loot of our late former Head of State Sani Abacha was appropriated after it was repatriated from Switzerland.  

"There are no verifiable evidences to show how the purported N500b ($1.56b) so-called Trader-moni in the name of social-investment funds were disbursed. 

 "Money borrowed from the World Bank, China and other places are used in buying the bullets that kill unarmed protesters who are fighting for economic and social justice. 

"Lenders are investing in the blood of our compatriots many of whom are currently under unlawful detention. 

"Money borrowed from the World Bank, China and other sources are used in financing the unlawful detention of Nigerians against the orders of the courts. 

"Finally, it is very important that we bring to your notice, ongoing allegations that officials of the World Bank receive bribe in order to grant loans to states and Federal Government of Nigeria. It is alleged that this is the reason why loans are quickly granted. We are not making direct accusations at this point because we do not have verifiable evidences. However, we know that there is no smoke without fire.

"Therefore, we respectfully petition that you quickly embark on a thorough investigation in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of investigations on the ongoing allegations making the round in Nigeria."

In response to the protest, Marcela Sanchez-Bender, Media Relations and Lead Corporate Communications in company with colleagues, promised to deliver the petition to the appropriate authority. 

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Omoyele Sowore BBC

The Nigerian Presidency has denied ordering the rearrest of pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. 

Sowore was rearrested by the Department of State Services less than 24 hours after he was released from 125 days of arbitrary detention. 

The DSS is under the direct control and supervision of the Presidency. 

In a statement on Sunday, spokesperson for President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, denied granting permission to the DSS to carry out the rearrest.

Shehu said, "The DSS does not necessarily need the permission of the Presidency in all cases to carry out its essential responsibilities that are laid down in the Nigerian constitution – which was the foundation for the restoration of democracy in our country in 1999.

"However, it should not surprise anyone who has followed his actions and words that Sowore is a person of interest to the DSS."

He added that Sowore was rearrested for calling for a revolution, an alleged offence for which he has been granted bail twice by the Federal High Court in Abuja. 

Sowore was first arrested on August 3 for calling on Nigerians to pour out to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Buhari. 

The trail in a case brought against him by the government was ongoing at the Abuja court on Friday when the DSS stormed the place to forcefully take him away. 
 

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Non-governmental organisation, Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, has said that the Department of State Services desecrated the temple of justice by invading the Federal High Court, Abuja, to rearrest pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday.

Speaking through its Executive Director, Gbenga Soloki, the CAIDV called on the Chief Justice of the Federation to summon the Director-General of DSS for questioning over the unholy display of power by his men.  

Soloki said, “The Chief Judge of the Federation should summon the DG of DSS and ensure he produces those that invaded a court of law so that the appropriate punitive measures could be meted out to them to serve as deterrent.”

The group also noted that failure to do so will invariably lead to more acts of impunity in future. 

Soloki also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call the leadership of the DSS to order and stop them from "ridiculing our country by the naked display of power".

He stressed that since the accused had been admitted to bail, any other issue or matter should be left under the purview of the court rather than the unruly manner in which he was abducted in court by gun-wielding men of the secret service.

 

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has condemned the rearrest of pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of Department of Security Service on Friday.

SERAP frowned against the harassment and intimidation of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, by armed DSS operatives, who stormed the courtroom in a bid to rearrest the activist and forced her close proceedings abruptly. 

In a statement on Friday, the group said the action of the DSS was shameful.

The statement said, “The violent rearrest of Sowore right inside the courtroom, is a textbook case of a mockery of justice and abuse of judicial process. 

“It drives home the failure of the Nigerian Government to fulfill its constitutional and international human rights obligations to respect citizens’ human rights and observe the rule of law.”

SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, added that the invasion of the courtroom and the ill-treatment of Sowore was a blatant attack on the rule of law and the sanctity and integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.

The organisation called United Nations Human Rights Council, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and members of the international community to prevail on the Nigerian authorities to end violations and abuses of human rights and threats to the rule of law.

The statement added, “An independent judiciary free from intimidation and harassment is a basic precondition to a functioning democracy under the rule of law.

“If Nigerian authorities are serious about human rights and the rule of law, they should hold those responsible to account. 

“Only then will Nigerians have full confidence in this government’s ability to protect their human rights, obey the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.”

 

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The artwork, titled Comedian, consisted of a banana duct-taped to a wall.