The Federal Government has ordered the release of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki and convener of online #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami made this public in a statement on Tuesday.
Malami said the decision to release them was in compliance with the bail granted the two by the court.
“The two defendants are enjoined to observe the terms of their bail and refrain from engaging in any act that is inimical to public peace and national security as well as their ongoing trial which will run its course in accordance with the laws of the land,” Malami said.
Mr Dasuki has been held by security operatives since December 2015 when he was arrested on allegations he diverted $2.1 billion from funds meant for the war against terrorism.
For six times, several court orders for the release of the former NSA had been flouted by the Nigerian government.
The Court of Appeal granted bail to Dasuki on July 13 and ordered the federal government to pay Mr Dasuki N5 million for holding him against the provisions of section 35 (6) of the constitution which gives every Nigerian the right to free movement.
In a ruling delivered on July 13, Mr Dasuki’s previous bail condition of N100 million to be paid cash by two sureties was set aside by the Court of Appeal and replaced with a bond of N100 million.
Recall that Mr Dasuki and his lawyers had approached the appellate court on June 13.
The main aim of their application, according to the document, was to challenge the aforementioned court decision on July 2, 2018.
The decision had included a bail bond of N100 million, each from two sureties to be presented by Mr Dasuki.
Dissatisfied with the bail conditions, Mr Dasuki approached the appellate court which ordered that the July 2018 bail conditions be dropped. It then issued a new order as follows:
“Bail is granted to the applicant with the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be public servants not below the rank of grade-level 16, with the federal or state government or any of its agencies and shall provide a valid document for his or her status to the registrar of the Court below.
Sowore and Olawale Bakare were arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) on August 3, 2019 in Lagos for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to express their displeasure over the poor state of governance in the country.
A previous bail granted the defendant on September 24 was not complied with by the SSS.
On September 30, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had granted him bail and ordered the DSS to release him after he met the condition given by depositing his international passport with the court.
Despite that ruling, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime refused to free him, attracting condemnation from across the world.
On October 4, 2019, Federal High Court, Abuja granted Sowore N100m bail after two months in DSS custody with stringent conditions.
Since the Federal Government failed to obey the court order, Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on Monday, October 21, 2019 reviewed the previous bail granted the defendant on September 24 and granted another one.
However, DSS operatives wielding guns and barricading the court dramatically re-arrested Sowore on Deember 6, 2019.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, fixed October 21, 2019 for the hearing of the application filed by Sowore, and co-defendant, Bakare popularly known as Mandate for variation of their bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to November 6, 7 and 8 for accelerated trial by the court could not hold.
Their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), had approached the court for an adjustment in the bail conditions to what his clients could meet.
