Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has expressed concern that no one is willing to stand as surety for Omoyele Sowore, convener
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has expressed concern that no one is willing to stand as surety for Omoyele Sowore, convener of #RevolutionNow Movement who was arrested on charges of treason and insulting President Buhari.
The Federal High Court Judge said this when Sowore’s counsel, Femi Falana sought for a variation to the previous bail conditions of N100m and two sureties which he said could not be met, said the defendant’s inability to get two surety poses serious concern.
Omoyele Sowore was granted bail in the sum of N150m and ordered to produce two sureties in like sum. The judge ordered that the sureties must be residents of Abuja with landed properties in Abuja worth the bail sum. She also said that the sureties original title documents of the assets be deposited with the court. The judge also ordered him to deposit the sum of N50m in the account of the court as security. She also granted his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare N50m bail with one surety. The Judge further barred the two defendants from addressing any rally pending the conclusion of the trial. She also barred Sowore from traveling out of Abuja and the second defendant out of Osogbo, during the pendency of the trial.
Ojukwu said, “Considering the pedigree of the first defendant as observed in his application, it is rather unfortunate that no one is willing to stand as his surety on those terms. On the other hand, it creates an assumption that despite the pedigree of the first defendant, none of his best associates is willing to stand for him. This poses a cause for concern.”
Ojukwu reviewed Sowore’s bail conditions, setting aside the previous order which directed one of Sowore’s surety to deposit N50m. She also explained that the bail sum is not required to be deposited but when a court makes an order for security, the secured money is later returned to the owner (surety).
