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Again, Sowore Storms FCT Police SARS Office Over Illegal Detention Of Lawyer, Abubakar

On Monday, Sowore visited the facility to obtain the charges which they claimed were filed against him by Nwoko.

Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, will by 9am on Tuesday be at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIID) office of the FCT Police Command over the illegal detention of his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, of the Falana & Falana Chambers.

The police had on February 24 illegally arrested Sowore on the Court of Appeal premises on the alleged orders of a businessman and former lawmaker, Ned Nwoko, over some trumped-up allegations.

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He was taken to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit, otherwise known as Abattoir, located at Guzape where he was detained for hours.

Days after, his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal of the Falana & Falana Chambers was arrested for allegedly failing to produce him after bail.

Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesman, who confirmed Marshal’s arrest last Friday, had said he had been “charged to court following his failure to produce the suspect,” adding that this was in line with standard best practices.

On Monday, Sowore visited the facility to obtain the charges which they claimed were filed against him by Nwoko.

He was however attacked and assaulted by armed policemen stationed at the gate who forcefully arrested him.[story_link align="left"]105902[/story_link]

Giving an update on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Sowore said he would be returning to the CIID office “to pursue the struggle to get Marshal Abubakar freed from illegal and unjust imprisonment.”

He said, “Yesterday (Monday), I visited the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIID) at the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police Force, a place notoriously known as “Abattoir” where the brutal former SARS unit was domiciled. Upon arrival with supporters, the policemen descended on us, arrested and brutalised a number of our comrades claiming we came to attack the unit.

“While waiting in their premises, a police lawyer also brought some papers he claimed were “cyberstalking charges,” it was riddled with errors and had just been hurriedly filed at the registry of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the charges did not include any of the initial allegations of “criminal defamation” as earlier adduced by the police when they arrested me in front of the Court of Appeal.

“Several hours after I presented myself voluntarily to counter the lie that I “jumped bail,” they released me to my lawyers after they issued them bail papers. They never disputed the fact that I gave them my contact number and that they never tried to reach me before they swooped on my lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, illegally arrested and threw him into prison. Just to do the bidding of a so-called criminal Billionaire, Ned Nwoko.[story_link align="left"]105943[/story_link]

“This morning again, I will be returning to the CIID office to pursue the struggle to get Marshal Abubakar freed from illegal and unjust imprisonment. I will be at police unit by 9am. As I have stated, Ned Nwoko acting Buhari’s regime script through the AGF, Abubakar Malami to frame me with further frivolous charges because the treasonable felony charge has practically fallen apart and my recent popular declaration for the Presidency they had wanted to stop by arresting me and harassing me with the police.

“The police hierarchy is in his pocket and it will go to any length to violate the rights of Nigerian citizens because of the corrupt relationship with Mr. Nwoko.”