Tunde Bakare questioned, released by security operatives

Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly and presidential running-mate to General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who was invited for questioning by the State Security Service (SSS) has been released.

The SSS, Monday invited convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) for questioning over the content of his Sunday sermon asking President Goodluck Jonathan to resign from office.

Bakare, who is also the Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, was invited to meet with the State director of the SSS at its Shangisha office in Lagos for a 2 pm meeting.

In a letter of invitation issued by State Director of Security for Lagos state and signed by Mr A. Salami stated that “I am directed to invite you for interview by the State Director of Security, State Security Service (SSS) at the Command Headquarters along CMD Road Shangisha, Magodo, Lagos on Monday July 23, 2012 at 1400 hours.

Accept the assurance of the State Director of Security highest esteem, please.”

Bakare delivered a sermon titled: ‘‘How to change government peacefully and make society better’’, where he advised President Jonathan to resign from office.

Confirming the invitation in a telephone chat with Vanguard, spokesman of the Save Nigeria Group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin explained that it was “basically a friendly chat.”

Odumakin said “Pastor Bakare was invited and was asked to give them a copy of the sermon he preached in church, there was nothing extraordinary of outrageous in what he said. It was more of a cordial chat that lasted for one hour ten minutes.”

He added that “basically, they are doing their own job as the state security of the state and then, he is doing his own call to make the country better for the people living in the country. Everyone is doing his for as long as there is mutual respect. There is no cause for alarm. Like I told you, it was a friendly chat. He was invited for a meeting for 2 pm but he got there at about 3:10 pm”.

Nigerians took to the social networking site, Twitter, to confirm his arrival at the Shangisha office of the SSS and his bail.

Former minister of FCT, Nasir el-Rufai tweeted “Pastor Tunde bakare just entered the SSS office in Lagos. We must all be vigilant and resist any abridgement of free speech in our nation…”

While former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye confirmed his exit via the same channel saying “Pastor Tunde bakare out of SSS office after a chart’’