NEW DEVELOPMENT:
NIGERIAN Government plans to slam TREASON Charge against OMOYELE SOWORE…Sahara Reporter’s Publisher may face LIFE imprisonment if convicted
* ‘We have credible information that Omoyele Sowore is in contact with some foreign actors to destabilize and overthrow the country. He is in our custody’-Nigeria Secret Service
* Treason crime by Nigerian Constitution: ‘Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the state with the intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to punishment of death. Whoever commits treason shall be punished with death, and whoever attempts or abets treason shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for any less term or with fine or with both’
* ‘Sowore has been removed as national chairman of the African Action Congress for misappropriation of funds. We have accused him of enjoying inflow of foreign funds into the party and retaining same personally in contravention of section 225, (3) (4) of the 1999 constitution”-Oladele Ade, Acting Director of Communications, AAC
* ‘Those those that sacked Sahara Reporter’s publisher from AAC are misguided individuals on suspension”-Sowore’s camp react
BY EMMANUEL OGEBE/SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ABUJA & IJEOMA CLARKSON/POLITICAL WRITER, LAGOS
THESE ARE NOT THE BEST OF TIMES FOR SAHARA REPORTER’S PUBLISHER, OMOYELE SOWORE, a former Presidential candidate and national chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) as Nigeria’s State Security Police (DSS) arrested the political activist who had earlier planned to stage a massive protest against the government of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari. DSS claimed based on the prior intelligence report they received, they alleged that Sowore was picked up when information reached them that he is working hand-in-gloves with some unnamed foreign bodies purposely to ‘overthrow and destabilize Nigeria.’
The Department of State Security on Sunday confirmed it has Sowore in its custody. Sowore was arrested on Saturday by operatives of the DSS in his Lagos residence over proposed #RevolutionNow protests billed for Monday.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya confirmed this to reporters during a briefing at the DSS headquarters in Abuja. The spokesperson said the secret police was aware that Sowore had been in touch with foreign actors to destabilise Nigeria. He did not provide details of Sowore’s detention location, or if he will be taken to court.
Further investigation by NAIJA STANDARD within the nation’s security intelligence confirmed that plans have been concluded by DSS to arraign Sowore in court for TREASON, as it is thoroughly believed that the former presidential candidate was allegedly in contact with some ‘unnamed foreign bodies to deliberately overthrow the administration of President Buhari.’
This security source told NAIJA STANDARD that though no date has been set for Sowore’s trial, “based on the water-tight TREASON case being put together against by DSS when the matter comes up in court, it will be difficult for Sahara Reporter’s publisher to wriggle out, as the Federal government is collating all the paper trails, phone calls, electronic mails correspondence between Sowore and some groups Overseas who are bent on causing chaos, causing trouble in Nigeria. Don’t forget that the theme of Sowore’s nationwide protest earlier scheduled for tomorrow Monday is #RevolutionNow. Do you think the government will fold its arms and allow the country to go into crisis?”
If convicted in court for TREASON, Sowore may face life jail in prison or harsher penalty. As Treason is defined by Nigerian Constitution this way: “Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the state with the intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to punishment of death. Whoever commits treason shall be punished with death, and whoever attempts or abets treason shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for any less term or with fine or with both.”
Meanwhile AAC has cut off ties with Sowore and abandon him in his trial. AAC in an official statement by Oladele Ade, Acting Director of Communication states that “Sowore has been removed as national chairman of the African Action Congress. We have accused him of enjoying inflow of foreign funds into the party and retaining same personally in contravention of section 225, (3) (4) of the 1999 constitution.”
This political party that produced him in the last general election stated that some members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has recently removed him as national chairman for alleged misappropriation of funds. Ade also announced the appointment of Leonard Nzenwa as the acting National Chairman.
According to the statement announcing Sowore’s removal, the party said: “NEC had in a letter inviting the former National Chairman of the party dated March 13, 2019 accused him of misappropriation of funds and failure to comply with the statutory requirements of the party to hold NEC meeting over a long period of time.
“The party in the said seven day notice asked him to appear before the NEC to clear himself of the said allegation. The notice of seven day summon was in accordance with article 51 (i) (ii) and Article 52 (n) of the party constitution.”
Sowore was also accused of enjoying “inflow of foreign funds into the party and retaining same personally in contravention of section 225, (3) (4) of the 1999 constitution.”
“The party leadership had also in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated April 25 confirmed the suspension of Mr. Omoyele Sowore and nine others in accordance with Article 52 (k) of the party.
“The party has, therefore, asked INEC and any other persons or group of persons to, henceforth, recognise Dr. Nzenwa as its Acting National Chairman.”
“The Acting National Chairman of the party and other members of the new NEC were sworn in today 13th May, 2019 at the 3rd NEC meeting of the party.”
Sowore group reacts:
However, in a singed statement on behalf of the embattled national chairman of the party, Sowore’s group said those that sacked him are “misguided individuals” on suspension.
“It has come to the notice of the office of the Chairman of the African Action Congress that a group of suspended members, induced by financial reasons and anti-progressive politics, gathered in Abuja today, 13th May, 2019, and purportedly held a NEC meeting,” the statement read.
“These members, led by Leonard Nzenwa, former national secretary, who was suspended for financial impropriety and anti-party activities, have demonstrated by their actions that they have never been, and have never shared, the core beliefs that those of us in the African Action Congress hold.
“Leonard Nzenwa is hereby expelled from the party, and the misguided individuals who participated in the Abuja meeting are suspended from the party until investigations reveal the extent of their involvement.”
#Additional reports by Premium Times
