Soyinka, Sani in court as Sowore’s trial resumes

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and a former Nigerian lawmaker Shehu Sani are at the Abuja High Court at the resumed trial of Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore on Wednesday.

Also in court is the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu and activist Deji Adeyanju.

Sowore was arrested on Saturday, August 3 after calling for a nationwide protest tagged #RevolutionNow by Nigeria’s Department of State Service (DSS).

Despite Sowore’s arrest, the protest which focused on governance, government accountability to the people still took place in major parts of the country.

The government accused Sowore and his co-defendant Olawale Bakare treasonable felony, money laundering, terrorism and plotting to overthrow Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

The court had on two occasions ordered Sowore’s bail but was denied by the DSS for undisclosed reasons.

After 126 days in detention, Sowore was released on bail on the eve of Chrismas in 2019.

The trial was stalled on Monday, February 11 due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. It was subsequently adjourned to Wednesday, February 12.