Unic Press UK: The Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has issued a statement, instructing the State Security Service (also known as the Department of State Service) to release from prison custody the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore and a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation(AGF), Abubakar Malami, in a statement Tuesday said:
“The Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation has reviewed the pending criminal charges against the duo of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Omoyele Sowore. Whilst the Federal High Court has exercised its discretion in granting bail to the Defendants in respect of the charges against them, I am also not unmindful of the right of the Complainant/Prosecution to appeal or further challenge the grant of bail by the court having regards to extant legal provisions, particularly Section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. However, my Office has chosen to comply with the court orders while considering the pursuit of its rights of appeal and/or review of the order relating to the bail as granted or varied by the courts. In line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and in compliance with the bail granted to Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) (as recently varied by the Court of Appeal) and the bail granted to Omoyele Sowore, I have directed the State Security Services to comply with the order granting bail to the Defendants and effect their release. 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. I wish to reiterate again the utmost regard of my Office for the entire judicial structure of Nigeria. This administration remains unrelenting in deepening the rule of law and the administration of justice in general.
Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) on 3 August. The initial count charges against Sowore includes money laundering, insulting the Nigerian president, fraud, and treasonable felony.
The former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki is facing charges of money laundering, unlawful possession of materiel. He has been in detention since November 2015, despite several orders for his released, including an order of the Federal High Court at Abuja, the ECOWAS Court.
