A Federal High Court has ordered the release of the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered his release after hearing arguments from both the prosecuting and defence counsels on Tuesday.
The Federal Government prosecutor, Godwin Agbadua, had argued that Sowore be detained in the “interest of justice and national security”.
According to Agbadua, the charges brought against him fall under capital offences, with respect to Section 161 of the Criminal Justice Act.
But Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana, argued that his client was charged with insulting the president, money laundering and conspiracy to commit treason, all of which he said are not capital offences.
After further arguments, Agbadua said the facts of his motion had been overtaken by events and therefore, asked to withdraw the application to further detain Sowore.
Following the withdrawal, the court struck out the application.
Consequently, Falana asked the court to order the immediate release of his client.
According to him, there was no longer any competent court order for his further remand.
Thereafter, the Judge gave the ruling on the ground that there was no order still in court.
However, he ordered Sowore to deposit all his travel documents with the court in the next 48 hours.
The judge also ordered that his lawyer, Mr Falana, must present him whenever the court needs him.
Mr Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, had been arrested on the eve of his planned protest across Nigeria, #RevolutionNow.
He was detained for 45 days in the custody of the DSS over seven charges bordering on treasonable felony and money laundering.
A day before the 45-day detention was to elapse, the Federal Government filed additional charges against him on Friday, September 20.
However, in Tuesday’s hearing, all applications with the exception of the seven charges were withdrawn by both the prosecution and the defence counsels.
