Amnesty International Accuses FG, says Buhari wants to deprive Sowore his rights

Following the murky charges slammed against the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, Amnesty International Nigeria has on Saturday accused Nigerian authorities of attempting to deprive Sowore of his inalienable rights as a citizen.

Buhari, Sowore

Amnesty Int.  a global movement of more than 7 million people, well known for its fight for freedom, justice and equality, condemned the charges and described such as a ‘misuse of the criminal system to silence dissent’.

VAM Recall that Sowore had in August planned to stage a protest tagged, #RevolutionNow which was physically muffled by security agencies.

He was arrested by the Department of state services, DSS, and was taken to Abuja. He was accused by the federal government of trying to oust President Muhammadu Buhari, who is democratically elected as the president of Nigeria in the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

Sowore who’s active participation in several protests against Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was applauded, came on Thursday and was slammed seven-count charges on money laundering and conspiracy aimed at removing the President and Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during his term of office.

“That you Omoyele Stephen Sowore, Male Adult of No 1 Mosafejo Street, Kiribo, Ese-Odo LGA, Ondo State, Olawale Adebayo Bakare  {aka Mandate} Male, Adult of Olaiya Arca, Oshogbo LGA Osun State and others at large, under the eagis of Coalition for Revolution (CORE), sometimes in August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspired amongst yourselves to stage a revolution campaign on 5th day of August 2019 tagged #RevolutionNow”  aimed at removing the President and Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during his term of office otherwise known, than by constitutional means”.

He was equally accused of insulting Buhari. In the suit dated September 19 and filed at the federal high court in Abuja, the government accused Sowore of granting an interview which purpose caused insult on the person of the president of the country.

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In view of the above charges, Amnesty International via its twitter handle wrote the following “Amnesty International condemns the bizarre charges pressed on activist Omoyele Sowore for expressing his views in media interviews. The trumped up charges he is facing show an attempt by the Nigerian authorities to deprive him of his human rights.

“Sowore’s continued incarceration on application of the Terrorism Act for exercising his right to freedom of expression is a misuse of the criminal system to silence dissent.”

(Vanguard)