Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, is searching for a video of Omoyele Sowore’s visit to the Force Headquarters on Monday.
According to sources, Adejobi intends to use the video to support filing fresh charges against Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), alleging a breach of peace during his visit, which was in response to a police invitation.
SaharaReporters learnt that the police PRO plans to arrest Sowore over the weekend and charge him with breach of public peace on Monday.
On Monday, Sowore was detained at the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office at Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, following his refusal to accept the bail conditions set by the police.
The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) described the bail conditions as “illegal”.
Sowore had honoured an invitation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the police over his exposé on officers allegedly extorting motorists along Ikeja, Lagos State.
However, he rejected their bail terms twice.
First, Sowore rejected the initial bail conditions granted to him by the police – which asked him to present a level 17 Permanent Secretary – describing it as a joke.
Later, the police revised the conditions downward to include producing a level 16 civil servant as a surety and surrendering his passport.
He again rejected the condition, saying, “I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity.”
His legal counsel, Femi Falana (SAN), backed his stance, citing a Court of Appeal ruling in Dasuki v. Director-General.
Falana stated that such conditions had previously been declared illegal.
The former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate is currently facing 16 cybercrime charges filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, following his reference to the police chief as an “Illegal IG.”
Regarding the plan to file fresh charges against the human rights activist, a source privy to the situation told SaharaReporters on Friday, “The Force PRO Adejobi has been asking for video footage of Sowore’s arrival at the FID (Force Intelligence Department) on Monday.
“The PPRO is devastated by events of the last few days; he’s now looking for the video to show that there was breach of public peace during Sowore’s visit to the FID on invitation.”
“He is looking to arrest him during the weekend and charge him with new charges based on breach of public peace on Monday,” another source told SaharaReporters.
On Thursday, Justice Musa Liman granted bail to Sowore in the sum of N10 million with one surety of the same amount.
The court also ruled that the surety must have verified landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the applicant must deposit his passport with the court and provide an affidavit of means.
Sowore was initially required to meet the bail conditions within a set timeframe. However, the court granted him a 24-hour extension to fulfill the terms.
Sowore, accompanied by his legal team on Thursday, was met by a crowd of supporters outside the courthouse, demanding his release and condemning the charges against him as politically motivated.
