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Court Fixes Date For Hearing In Sowore's Appeal Challenging Stringent Bail Confining Him To Abuja

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested Sowore in the early hours of August 3, 2019, for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand better governance and a better country.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fixed April 13, 2022, for hearing in the case filed by the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, challenging the ruling of the Federal High Court in confining him to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since August 2019.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested Sowore in the early hours of August 3, 2019, for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand better governance and a better country. 

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But the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari swiftly arraigned him in court on trumped-up charges, without any shred of evidence. 
The activist was kept in unlawful detention from that period until December 5, 2019, when he was finally released on bail despite two court orders earlier sanctioning his freedom. 
In a twist of events, DSS operatives invaded the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 6, 2019, to rearrest him without any court order. 
He remained in unlawful detention until 18 days later when he was released by the secret police for the second time.
The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had granted Sowore N100 million bail with two sureties who must be residents of Abuja and have landed properties within the Federal Capital Territory. 
The judge also ordered that one of the sureties must deposit N30 million with the court pending the determination of the case. 
Sowore was also restricted to the Federal Capital Territory pending the determination of the case.
The activist, however, approached the Appeal Court over the stringent bail conditions, including the one restricting his movements to Abuja.
In a document dated April 11, 2022, with Appeal number CA/A/778/21, which was obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, the court fixed Wednesday, April 13 for hearing in the suit.
Titled 'Hearing Notice', it says, "Take notice that the above-mentioned motion, Appeal/Judgment has been listed for hearing before the Court of Appeal, Abuja sitting at 3 Arms Zone, PMB 322 Central District, Cadastral Zone." 
His counsel is Falana & Falana's Chambers. 

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