Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Tuesday welcomed the decision by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the immediate release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, from the custody of the Department of State Service.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja shortly after the court order, SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said the ruling represented “a victory for the rule of law, human rights, and judicial independence."
The statement read in part
“It’s a huge relief that Sowore will be freed and can finally return to his family and journalism work. He should never have been detained in the first place. The Nigerian authorities should now withdraw all the charges against him and allow freedom of expression and media freedom to flourish. It’s good for everyone.
“The Nigerian authorities now have to fully comply with this ruling by immediately releasing Sowore. The decision is a timely reminder of Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations to protect journalists, activists, and Nigerians in general, and to put a stop to its current practice of restricting the civic space.
“We hope this decision will make the Nigerian authorities and state governors stop and reflect on their ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom including online, and also help to put an end to other human rights violations of journalists and citizens in general. Other journalists like Agba Jalingo and Ekanem Ekpo currently being detained, must be immediately and unconditionally released.
“If a court found it possible to release Sowore, we are sure that all the circumstances were studied, and an objective decision was made.”
