The candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections, Omoyele Sowore, has restated his call for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore made this call during an interview with Arise Television on Thursday.
The #RevolutionNow campaigner insisted that there would not be peace and progress in Nigeria without justice.
“Let me use this opportunity to ask for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. It’s time that reasoning prevail over the issue of Nnamdi Kanu. This whole thing was unnecessary.
“If you’re not going to continue with Buhari’s policies of ruining the economy, destroying the dollars, don’t continue with his repressive policies.
“It’s time to apologize to all the persons that Buhari touched in the last eight years of his administration and prosecute all the officials used in committing atrocities under his government.”
Recall that Kanu has been in detention since June 2021 after the regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari, in collaboration with the Kenyan government, kidnapped him in Kenya and renditioned him to Nigeria in violation of national and international laws and treaties.
Meanwhile, Sowore said he deserves an apology from the Nigerian government for his arrest and detention in 2019.
When asked if he would demand an apology following the discontinuation of his case by the Federal Government, Sowore simply said, “I don’t have to demand an apology. I deserve an apology from the Nigerian government, as a matter of fact.”
Recall that the Nigerian government had discontinued its case against Sowore over alleged treason.
Sowore was arrested and detained by Nigeria’s intelligence agency, the Department of State Services (DSS), in August 2019 for calling for a revolution in the country under then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
He was later released on bail but could not leave the country as part of his bail conditions.
But, a Notice of Discontinuance stamped by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday and signed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on Wednesday, said the complainant (Federal Government of Nigeria) would discontinue the case.
The notice reads, “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019.”