More American lawmakers continue to raise concern over the
continued detention of Omoyele Sowore, a political activist and
publisher of Sahara Reporters.
The Nigerian presidency, wary of
international criticisms, accused foreign governments of interfering in
Nigeria’s affairs by questioning Mr Buhari’s respect for the rule of
law.
A presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday
asked foreign countries to stop interfering in Nigeria’s affairs,
especially on the issue of human rights abuses.
He disclosed this
while reacting to reports from the EU, UK and the U.S. that they were
concerned about Nigeria’s disrespect for the rule of law including in
its treatment of Mr Sowore.
However, many foreign lawmakers
continue to criticise the Nigerian government over the re-arrest and
detention of Mr Sowore on treason charges by the State Security Services
(SSS).
He was arrested on August 3 for planning a #RevolutionNow
protest against poor governance. He spent over 100 days in detention
alongside his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, despite two court orders
mandating their release much earlier.
The duo were released a day
before their court hearing last Friday. But the SSS operatives invaded
the courtroom to re-arrest the political activist.
The activities
of the secret police already sparked nationwide furore and
international criticism against Mr Buhari’s government.
On
Tuesday, Chris Coons, a U.S. senator spoke out about Mr Sowore’s
re-arrest. Mr Coons is the Vice-Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee and
a member of the Senate Foreign Relations.
He said in a tweet
that he is “concerned that this case is representative of closing of
political and media space in Nigeria. Civil society leaders and human
rights defenders should be celebrated, not persecuted, in Nigeria and
around the world.”
“I’m deeply concerned by the harassment
and repeated detainment of Nigerian activist, journalist, and former
presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore. I urge Nigerian security services
to respect due process and the rule of law, release Sowore per his bail
terms, and launch an investigation into his re-arrest.”
Again
on Thursday, a senator from New York, Chuck Schumer, asked Mr Buhari to
honour previous court rulings. He also expressed dissatisfaction over
Mr Sowore’s continued detention.
“I am disheartened by reports
that Omoyele Sowore—activist, journalist, American citizen—was
re-arrested by Nigeria’s government. President Buhari should heed the
previous court rulings, and international sentiment, and immediately
free Omoyele Sowore now.”
Before now, PREMIUM TIMES reported
how Bob Menendez, a member of the United States Senate’s Foreign
Relations Committee and Josh Gotthiemer wrote to the Nigerian ambassador
in the U.S., Sylvanus Nsofor, over the continuous detention of the
political activist.
In the letter dated November 25 and made
available to PREMIUM TIMES, the congressmen said there have been a
number of troubling reports about Nigeria’s security agencies assaulting
and detaining journalists. Mr Menendez in another video and public
statement promised US intervention over the case.
Also, in
October, a member of the United States House of Representatives, Karen
Bass, said the act of the DSS to Mr Sowore violates a “fragment of his
fundamental human right”.
Apart from Mr Sowore, the Nigerian
government is also illegally detaining many others including a former
National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and the Shiite leader, Ibrahim
El Zakzaky.
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