Court Fixes October 21 For Hearing On Sowore’s Bail Variation Application



Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed October 21, 2019 for the hearing of the application filed by pro-democracy campaigner and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and co-defendant, Olawale Bakare popularly known as Mandate for variation of their bail conditions.

The activists were granted bail in a ruling by the court on October 4, 2019 but with stringent conditions.

Their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), had approached the court for an adjustment in the bail conditions to what his clients could meet.

The judge granted Sowore bail in the sum of N100m with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Ojukwu also barred him from travelling outside Abuja, in addition to asking him to deposit N50m in the account of the court as security.

She granted Bakare bail in the sum of N50m with a surety in like sum.

He was barred from travelling out of his base in Osogbo, Osun State, except while coming for trial in Abuja.

The trial judge also barred the two men from talking to the press and participating in any form of protest pending the conclusion of their trial.

Sowore and Bakare are still being held in the custody of Department of State Services as a result of their inability to meet the bail conditions.

Sowore was arrested by the DSS in Lagos on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to express their displeasure over the poor state of governance in the country.

On September 30, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had granted him bail and ordered the DSS to release him after he met the condition given by depositing his international passport with the court.

But despite that ruling, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime refused to free him, attracting condemnation from across the world.

The government is charging Sowore for acts of money laundering, insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his government – charges the pro-democracy campaigner vehemently denies and that had been described by legal practitioners across and beyond Nigeria as laughable and baseless.

The matter was adjourned to November 6, 7 and 8 for accelerated trial by the court.

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