Trial of Sowore, others adjourned to May 7 as ‘babalawo’ storms court

By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of activist and convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr Omoleye Sowore and his co-Defendants, to May 7.

The adjournment came on a day a man dressed as a native doctor, stormed the court in solidarity with the Defendants.

Though the young man who is in his 30s declined to disclose his name, he however described himself as Sowore’s spiritual advisor. He wore a black and red-striped robe that terminated by his kneel, with a cap made from the same material.

The self-confessed spiritual advisor to Sowore also tied a red wrapper around his waist, even as he held a middle-sized calabash in his right hand. Other items like white cowries, snail shell and an object that looked like a dried skull of an animal, were attached to his red robe.

Sowore walked into the court premises with the supposed ‘babalawo’ (native doctor), shortly before the proceedings commenced in the case against him.

A police official who appeared as the first witness in the matter narrated how the Defendants were arrested in the early hours of January 1, while allegedly engaging in an unlawful assembly.

The witness told the court that Sowore and the others were inciting public disturbance before they were apprehended by a team of policemen at the Lokogoma junction in Abuja.

While under cross-examination, the witness said though he did not personally arrest Sowore, he was however a member of the team that effected the arrest of all the Defendants. Meantime, before the case was adjourned till May 7, Chief Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello varied the conditions attached to the bail that was earlier granted to the 2nd to 5th Defendants.

The court granted the Defendants permission to travel outside Abuja until the next adjourned date. The four other defendants in the matter are Juwon Sanyaolu, Peter Williams, Damilare Adenola and Emmanuel Bulus.

The court had in a ruling on January 11, granted Sowore bail to the tune of N20million with two sureties in like sum, even as it gave his co-Defendants bail in the sum of N1m each with one surety. It held that one of the two persons that would stand surety for Sowore must be a civil servant not below grade level 12.

Magistrate Segun-Bello further ordered Sowore to remain in Abuja and physically report to the Registrar of the court every Monday and Friday, pending the hearing and determination of the case against them. Police had in the charge before the court, alleged that the Defendants were arrested with placards that called for a violent revolution against President Muhammadu Buhari.

It will be recalled that Sowore who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last general election and publisher of an online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, was previously detained for about five months after he was arrested in 2019 for convening the #RevolutionNow protest. (Vanguard)

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