AFederal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday struck out the treasonable felony charges against #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore.
This followed the application of notice of discontinuance filed by the Nigerian government through the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
At the last adjourned date, the presiding judge Justice Emeka Nwite threatened to strike out the case following the lack of diligent prosecution on the part of the Nigerian government. He also warned that he would no longer grant any adjournments at the instance of the prosecution.
On Monday, he ordered the secret police, Department of State Services (DSS) to release Sowore’s three mobile phones, passport, and the sum of N10,000 seized from him.
The decision to discontinue the trial was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja via a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 and filed by Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Nwite while ruling on the application of the judge ordered the DSS to release the three mobile phones and the sum of N10,000 seized from him on the day of arrest. The court also ordered the release of his passport.
Nwite also ordered the release of the mobile phone of his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare and the sum of N1,500 seized from him.
The notice of the discontinuation read: “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019.″
The federal government arrested Sowore and Olawale Bakare, the co-defendant, in August 2019 for planning to organise a protest tagged #RevolutionNow.
They were accused of treason and attempts to overthrow former President Muhammadu Buhari.