Sowore set free as FG discontinues trial over 'Revolution Now'

The Federal Government has opted to halt the trial of Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate.

This decision was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja through a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 but filed the following day by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

The notice stated: "By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019."

Sowore and Bakare were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja in 2019 after Sowore led a protest rally in Abuja titled "Revolution Now."

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had previously threatened to dismiss the treason charge if the Nigerian government was not prepared to proceed with the case five years later.

This warning came on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, during the resumed hearing of the case, which was scheduled for trial but was stalled because the first defendant could not enter a plea.

This was due to the introduction of a new prosecution lawyer, who requested an adjournment to familiarise herself with the case after the previous lawyer handling it had been transferred out of the Ministry of Justice.

The defense counsel, Marshal Abubakar, objected to the adjournment, alleging that the prosecution was unnecessarily delaying proceedings.