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, 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,
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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A sanction banning Major General Buhari from traveling to the UK and US is enough to encourage him to follow the rule of law.
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