DSS vs Sowore: Senate Probes Invasion Of Court

Following the reported invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 6, the Senate on Thursday mandated its committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal matters to investigate the matter.

The resolution of the senate followed the point of order moved by the Chairman of the Committee, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Recall that operatives of the secret police were shown in viral video recordings last week, making frantic efforts to rearrest the Convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, inside the courtroom.

Sowore, who is standing trial for treasonable felony instituted against him by the federal government was released a day before, after the court had given a 24-hour ultimatum for his release. He was first arrested on August 3.

Senator Bamidele coming under order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, drew the attention of the upper chamber to the alleged invasion of the court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.

He said that the Senate cannot afford to gloss over the matter as direct representatives of the people.

He called on the Senate to mandate its committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the matter to enable the upper chamber draw conclusion based on facts.

Section 43 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended), reads: “By the indulgence of the Senate and the leave of the President of the Senate, a Senator may make a Personal Explanation although there be no question before the Senate; but no controversial matter may be brought forward nor may debate arise upon the Explanation.

“The terms of the proposed statement shall be submitted in detail to the President of the Senate when his leave to make it is sought.”

Bamidele said: “I rise to draw the attention of this Senate to a matter that has been in public domain and especially as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, the reported alleged invasion of the court room again by alleged officials of the Department of State Security. It is one issue that has raised a lot of concern in different quarters in Nigeria.

“The leadership and members of the judiciary are particularly concerned about this development. Because they believe like the rest of us do, that the courtroom is meant to be a sanctuary but for us a Senate, we cannot begin to take a position or analyze the issues based on conclusion without facts that we consider incontrovertible.

“Yet, much as we cannot just jump into conclusions, it is also a fact that we cannot pretend not to know that Nigerians are concerned about this development. The reason I have chosen to come under Order 43 is so that I will not generate any controversy or even make the Senate to begin to debate or engage in a debate over an issue in respect of which like I said earlier, we still need to have incontrovertible facts and evidence.

“In view of this, I just want to say that as elected representatives of the people in whom Nigerians including the judiciary must find their voice that we mandate our Committee on National Security and Intelligence to interface with the relevant security agencies, look into this matter, investigate what happened and report back to the Senate on this matter,” he said.

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan thereafter asked Bamidele’s panel to start legislative action on the issue and submit its report in one week.

Lawan said: “Distinguished colleagues, you know Order 43 does not allow for any debate and since this is a matter that affects the Judiciary, we rather mandate to your committee to find out what happened.

“So I would suggest that our committee on judiciary investigates, finds out what actually happened and then report back to us in one week.”