The Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday, ordered the immediate release of the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
The court made the order after saying that there was no extant order allowing Mr Sowore’s further detention before the court.
This is as Senator Shehu Sani has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently drop all the charges against pro-democracy campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, by the government.
The court said Mr Sowore must deposit his international passport within 48 hours after his release and ordered that his lawyer, Femi Falana, should be responsible for producing him in court once he has been notified of the charge against him.
The judge, Taiwo Taiwo, said the law provides for the freedom of all Nigerians regardless of economic or political status.
“The order of court has expired. It has not been renewed and cannot be renewed in view of the motion ex-parte earlier withdrawn,” the judge said.
“The liberty of all Nigerians high or low, poor or rich is guaranteed by the constitution. It’s for this end that I’m of the view that the defendant ought to be released forthwith,” Mr Taiwo said in a short ruling on Tuesday.
The court took made the decision after taking judicial notice of the information stating that Mr Sowore’s investigation had been concluded.
Mr Sowore was arrested on August 3 for planning a nationwide protest, under the theme, #RevolutionNow.
There have been growing calls for his release after the government filed charges of treason and money laundering against him.
Senator Sani also said the nation’s democracy had become imperiled by a growing state culture of intolerance of dissent and opposing opinions.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate first on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, said attempt to continue with charges of treason and felony levelled against Sowore would rubbish the image of President Buhari and the present government.
The former lawmaker, who stated these in a statement, raised the alarm that the nation’s democracy was becoming inhabitable and inhospitable to its ideal content.
According to him, a situation where a state equates dissent to disloyalty is antithetical to democracy.
He said at the moment, there was a climate of fear, intimidation and intolerance in the country, describing this as a contradiction of the philosophy of progressivism the ruling establishment purports.
Senator Sani’s statement read: “Sowore’s trial is unnecessary and uncalled for, as it would only further stain the human rights record of this administration and dent the moral standing of our country.
“There is a climate of fear, intimidation and intolerance in the country and this contradicts the philosophy of progressivism the ruling establishment purports.
”The nation’s democracy is imperiled by a growing state culture of intolerance of dissent and opposing opinions.
“The President’s desire to build and leave behind an anti-corruption legacy and tower should not be cited in the human rights graveyard. If the ruling establishment is confident of its moral standing and support base, it should defeat Sowore with superior ideas and not persecute him.
“Sowore’s charges amount to electrocution of freedom. The democratic credentials of any elected government is not simply about the legitimacy of its mandate, but about the degree of its tolerance to dissent and its compliance with the fundamental principles of freedom.
“I appeal to the federal government to drop the charges filed against Sowore. Our democracy is becoming is becoming inhabitable and inhospitable to its ideal content. When a state equates dissent to disloyalty, it progressively decays under the weight of its courtiers.”
