Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, has berated President Muhammadu Buhari over the arrest of the 2019 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Services, DSS.
Featuring on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ozekhome said the arrest of Sowore indicated that Buhari was “allergic to plurality of voices and his government is allergic to criticism”.
According to Ozekhome: “Dancing on the street saying we don’t want bad governance how does that amount to a treasonable felony?
“This government is allergic to plurality of voices, this government is allergic to criticism, this government is allergic to opinions. This government should know that Nigeria is a country with many colours.
“You cannot sample opinions. We cannot all sleep on the same bed. This government should learn to be tolerant.
“That allegation is most plural, most damning and most illogical from the government or security spokespersons.
“What is treason? For the definition of treason, you have to look at Sections 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Criminal Code which applies in the Southern part of Nigeria.
“Then you must look at Section 410 of the Penal Code that applies in the Northern part of Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Treason is the act of overthrowing the sovereign government of a state.”
DSS operatives had arrested Sowore after he called for a ‘RevolutionNow’ protest.
Sowore had called for a nationwide protest against what he described as a bad governance.
Following the activist’s arrest, the Nigeria Police Force described the planned protests by Sowore and some individuals as ‘treasonable felony and acts of terrorism’.
