The group said it was concerned about the refusal of the government to release him, adding that the government should respect the law governing the country.
The University of Lagos Alumni Association, North American Chapter, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to release Omoyele Sowore, who is one of its members.
The group in a statement expressed grave concern on the treatment of Sowore, who was rearrested barely 24 hours after he was released on bail following a third court order to free him.
The group said it was concerned about the refusal of the government to release him, adding that the government should respect the law governing the country.
The statement reads, “We are especially concerned about the government’s refusal to set him free after he had perfected his bail conditions as set down by the court.
“The North American chapter of the association wishes to implore the government to release Sowore on bail as a welcome gesture of deference to the rule of law.
“We wish to emphasise that the association is avowedly non-political and our statement is not to be construed as partisan posturing.
“We simply intend to charge the Federal Government of Nigeria to maintain respect for due process and eschew all actions that could undermine the rights of all accused to fair and impartial hearing.”
Sowore was first arrested on August 3, 2019 by operatives of the DSS in Lagos for calling on citizens to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from Buhari’s administration.
In charges that have been described as baseless and laughable by observers around the world, the government is accusing Sowore of insulting Buhari and planning to bring down his government.
But despite two court orders directing his freedom on bail, the 48-year-old journalist remains in detention – a glaring breach of his fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and several conventions the country is a signatory to.