The Department of State Service (DSS) has twice on Friday blocked a bailiff of the Federal High Court Abuja from effecting a fresh service of the court order for the release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest Omowole Sowore.
One of Sowore’s lawyer, Sam Ogala, who was at the main gate of the DSS office during the bailiff’s futile attempt to serve the order on DSS, confirmed this to the press.
According to him, the bailiff first arrived the DSS headquarters in Abuja, where Sowore had been held since August 3, 2019, around 9.30 a.m. on Friday, but was asked to return by 12 noon when the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, would be around.
The bailiff returned to the DSS headquarters at 12.14 p.m. on Friday, but was again reportedly denied access.
Sowore’s legal team led by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), had on Thursday rejected DSS’ claim that it had not been served with the order issued by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja granting bail to Sowore.
On Thursday, after DSS’ spokesperson denied that the agency had been served with the court order, Falana said, Ayuba Adam of the Legal Department of the DSS received the court order on behalf of the agency on September 24, 2019 (Tuesday).
On Tuesday, following Falana’s application, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court had ordered the release of Sowore, from the custody of the DSS pending his arraignment in court.
The judge ordered him to submit his passport in the court’s registry as the sole condition for the bail.
Sowore’s lawyers have said that the terms of his bail have since been fulfilled, however, he has yet to be released by the DSS.
The DSS under Mr. Bichi has a history of disregarding court orders.
Both former NSA, Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat are still in DSS custody despite several court orders for their release.
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