The government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari has capitulated to international pressure to release detained political prisoners.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in a statement on Tuesday said it has reviewed the pending criminal charges against the duo of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Omoyele Sowore.
Buhari who is hoping to borrow $30 billion from foreign lenders came under pressure from the US government for his government’s anti-democratic stance, disobedient of court orders and abuse of power using security agencies.
His government has continued to desecrate the tenets of democracy upon which he won election in 2015, a development that has worried international community.
Sources said the government wants to maintain a clean human right record as it will soon approach international lenders for its huge loan request.
Dansuki has been in detention since 2015 on trumped-up charges and several court orders for his release have been serially disobeyed by Buhari’s government.
Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters was arrested in gestapo style months ago after he called for revolution.
Agents of the Department of State Security, DSS, invaded the federal high court in the nation’s capital to forcefully re-arrest him barely 24 hours after he was granted bail.
“Whilst the Federal High Court has exercised its discretion in granting bail to the Defendants in respect of the charges against them, I am also not unmindful of the right of the Complainant/Prosecution to appeal or further challenge the grant of bail by the court having regards to extant legal provisions, particularly Section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
“However, my Office has chosen to comply with the court orders while considering the pursuit of its rights of appeal and/or review of the order relating to the bail as granted or varied by the courts’, Abubakar Malami, the attorney general said on Sunday.
‘In line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and in compliance with the bail granted to Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) (as recently varied by the Court of Appeal) and the bail granted to Omoyele Sowore, I have directed the State Security Services to comply with the order granting bail to the Defendants and effect their release.
“The two Defendants are enjoined to observe the terms of their bail and refrain from engaging in any act that is inimical to public peace and national security as well as their ongoing trial which will run its course in accordance with the laws of the land.
“I wish to reiterate again the utmost regard of my Office for the entire judicial structure of Nigeria. This administration remains unrelenting in deepening the rule of law and the administration of justice in general”.
