DSS confirms arrest of Sowore
… arrest is travesty, Soyinka tells police, DSS
The Department of State Service (DSS) has confirmed that Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general election, is in their custody over his planned protest on monday, which the secret police says is a threat to public safety, peace, security and social harmony.
Briefing newsmen at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, the public relations officer of the Service, Peter Afunanya, said the Federal Government would not sit and watch an individual or group of individuals threaten the nation with terrorism, sabotage and subversion.
Sowore was arrested on Saturday morning in Lagos, over his planned “Revolution Now” nationwide protest. He has been reportedly brought to Abuja.
“The DSS as we are all aware is charged primarily with the detection and prevention of crimes and threats against the internal security of nigeria and fundamentally more importantly, the service is also charged with the responsibility of managing, containing, curtailing, eliminating threats against the national security of Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka described the arrest as a travesty and violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make public their
concerns.
According to Soyinka, the young politician has done nothing wrong to warrant the threat of treasonable act being claimed by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
Operatives of the DSS, in the early hours of Saturday arrested Sowore, who is also the convener of ‘#Revolutionnow’ protests.
Sowore posted a distress tweet at exactly 1:25 am with an eye witness confirming that his phone was forcefully taken from him.
Soyinka, in a statement on Sunday, titled :“surely, not again !!!,” said the deployment of alarmist expressions such as “treason”, “anarchist”, “public incitement” by security forces had become so predictable and banal that they have become meaningless.”
However, the DSS added that Sowore’s planned action constituted serious threats, which include “threats of sabotage, threats of subversion, threats of terrorism and of course, threats of espionage and all others including ethnic agitations, economic sabotage and all of that.
“Now, if we are operating as a responsible security organisation and someone is calling for revolution in Nigeria, and what is revolution? Primarily, it means a revolt, it means an insurrection, it means insurgency, it means forceful take over of government and this is a democracy, Nigeria operates a democratic system, Nigeria, we all are aware is not a banana republic and cannot suddenly be made one. Nigeria is respected in the comity of nations.
“Nigeria is not just the giant of Africa, it is the pride of Africa and so, the DSS will not just sit by and watch someone or his group or cohorts would want to rise and threaten the peace, unity, constitutional is mo four beloved country. Whether so wore is with the dss or not, the answer is in the affirmative, he is with us. And why is he with us? he has crossed the lines, he has threatened public safety, Sowore has as a matter of fact, threatened the peaceful coexistence, social harmony of Nigeria and there is apprehension, there is anxiety, citizens’ residents are worried as to what will happen next.
“We want to use this opportunity to assure law abiding nigerians, friends of Nigeria, citizens of the world and indeed people of the world that come tomorrow 5th of August, 2019, that there will be absolute peace in Nigeria, nothing will happen, there won’t be any revolution, the government has been elected democratic ally will be in place. There would not be any forceful take over of government and th eds swill not standby and see self serving people take laws into their hands; we will do what is necessary within the law to discharge our responsibility and ensure that there is peace in nigeria beyond tomorrow.