Supporters of human rights activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on Monday accused operatives of the Department of State Services of forcefully taking him into custody despite a court order directing that he be remanded in a correctional facility.
The allegation followed proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who ordered Sowore’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his application seeking a stay of execution of an earlier order revoking his bail.
The court also dismissed an application in which Sowore sought the judge’s recusal over alleged bias and adjourned the matter until June 24 for further proceedings.
Shortly after the ruling, Sowore’s supporters alleged that DSS operatives physically seized the activist within the court premises and attempted to take him away, contrary to the court’s directive.
A live video streamed on Sowore’s Facebook page reportedly showed a DSS operative grabbing him by the waist and dragging him away while other operatives prevented his supporters from intervening.
The development sparked tension at the Federal High Court complex, with supporters gathering at the gates and temporarily blocking movement in and out of the premises.
They insisted that the court had specifically ordered Sowore’s remand in a correctional facility and not in the custody of either the DSS or the police.
Speaking to journalists, the FCT Chairman of the AAC, Agena Roberts Ande, condemned the action and accused the security agency of disregarding the court’s directive.
READ ALSO: Court Orders Sowore’s Remand In Kuje Correctional Centre
“Today we came to court, and as you rightly know, there was an order from the court that Sowore should be produced in court.
A bench warrant was given, Sowore accepted, and came to court by himself. Nobody forced him to come to court.
“And then a judgment was given that Sowore should be handed to the Correctional Service. The DSS went behind and kidnapped Sowore in court, even injuring him,” Ande alleged.
He argued that government agencies must respect judicial orders and due process.
“If the court gives an order that Sowore should be given to the Correctional Service centre, Sowore should not be given to the police or the DSS,” he added.
Before the incident, Sowore had addressed journalists, saying he was not surprised by the court’s decision to remand him.
“Nobody should be surprised. I have predicted before now that all these things would happen. But they are happening for a good reason: somebody must make the sacrifice that will liberate this country.
“I am going to prison, but I will be out. And when I am out, I will be stronger, more ferocious, and face these people headlong. That is my message to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over alleged criminal defamation after he reportedly described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a criminal” in posts on his social media accounts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The court had earlier revoked Sowore’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for the continuation of his trial on June 16.