Happening Now: Counsels Battle For Sowore’s Immediate Release

The Department of Social Security (DSS) has failed to secure court’s approval to further detain Sahara Reporters’ publisher, Omoyele Sowore, for another twenty days.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja struck out the application brought before it by the DSS at the hearing on Tuesday.

The court struck out the application after it was withdrawn by the counsel of the DSS.

Femi Falana, counsel to Sowore, consequently prayed the court to order the DSS to immediately release his client as the initial order to detain him for 45-day had expired.

But the DSS counsel challenged the oral application on the grounds that the state service had filed a formal suit against the publisher for treasonable felony which he said was a capital offence.

Falana, in his argument, had said he wishes to apply for the release of the applicant in line with section 35 of the Constitution which stipulates that a citizen of Nigeria can only be detained in accordance with the orders of a court.