Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the federal high court in Abuja has awarded the sum of N100,000 against the Department of State Services (DSS) for disobeying an order for the release Omoyele Sowore, pro-democracy activist.
The judge also ordered the DSS to release the activist and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare. within 24 hours, saying the security agency cannot constitute itself as parallel court of law.
Justice Ojukwu gave the order on Thursday at the scheduled commencement of the defendants’ trial on charges of treasonable felony.
She said the DSS had no justifiable reason to continue to hold them in custody.
The judge awarded the cost of N100,000 against the prosecution to be paid to the defendants for foisting “frivolous adjournment” on the court.
She ordered that the cost must be paid before the next hearing which is Friday.
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