The Human Right, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation (HURIDE) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Federal Government to release the leader of RevolutionNow Nigeria, Mr. Omoyele Sowore.
The rights body after its national emergency meeting held at Abuja resolved that the Federal Government of Nigeria should release Sowore and five others within the seven days ultimatum or face massive mass action by members of the body and other progressive forces in the country.
The chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT), HURIDE, Dede Uzor A. Uzor said they resolved that Sowore and five others held incommunicado for more than three weeks now should be set free unconditionally.
He said the rule of law and fundamental rights of citizens are essential ingredients of decent democratic society which Nigeria claims to practice.
“Therefore those citizens held under whichever reason(s) should be unconditionally released, since they have not committed any crime apart from engaging in and exercising their freedom of expression as citizens of Nigeria”, said Dede Uzor.
He warned that at the end of the seven days ultimatum and nothing was done, they would have no option than to mobilise millions of Nigerians to protest so that security operatives would have the opportunity to clamp many Nigerians into detention.
He frowned at the alleged pressure and intimidation of Judges, which the organization said they learnt resulted in a Judge declining an application filed by Sowore’s lawyers for his release.
He said “It is only pressure that would have allegedly forced the Judge to decline to discharge his/her constitutional functions. Federal Government should respect other organs of government especially the Judiciary”.
Continuing Dede Uzor said, “The sanctity and sacredness of the Judiciary should be respected. That is the only way our Judiciary’s integrity can be respected. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), should embark on aggressive restructuring of our judicial system by allowing Magistrate Courts to entertain capital offences cum criminal/murder cases and their likes. Their inability to entertain such matters helps to congest our courts and prisons”.
He said the process it takes Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), to advise in such matters (with huge financial inducement) when the case has been bounded over to High Court was enormous and time wasting.
“Magistrate Courts should be allowed to entertain murder cases. It will help in decongesting the prisons. Judiciary should rise up to the occasion and stop incessant interference by the executive”, Dede Uzor advised.
Photo: Convener of RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore.
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