FG Withdraws Charges Against Sowore, Bakare

Oluwasegun SanusiFebruary 15, 20241 Mins read174

The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken a step in its legal proceedings against Omoyele Sowore, the presidential aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC), and his co-accused, Olawale Bakare, widely known as Mandate.

In a formal move, the government has submitted a notice of discontinuance to the Federal High Court in Abuja, halting the ongoing case against the two individuals.

This decision was formalised by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, through a notice dated February 14 and filed the following day.

The document cited the authority vested in the Attorney General by relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. It announced the withdrawal of the charges filed against Sowore and Bakare under charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019.

Sowore and Bakare had faced charges stemming from their involvement in organising a protest in Abuja termed “Revolution Now” back in 2019.

However, the trial faced numerous delays and challenges. Justice Emeka Nwite, presiding over the case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, had previously expressed his intention to dismiss the treason allegations if the government failed to proceed with the case, which had lingered for five years since the initial charges were filed.

The most recent trial session was further complicated when the prosecution introduced a new attorney, who claimed she needed time to familiarise herself with the case details after her predecessor was transferred from the Ministry of Justice.

This led to an adjournment request, which was contested by the defence lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, who accused the prosecution of intentionally stalling the proceedings.