The Department of State Service (DSS) on Friday refused to grant access to a bailiff of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a mission to issue fresh service of the court order for the release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.
Reports said the bailiff had first arrived the DSS headquarters in Abuja around 9:30 am on Friday, but was asked to return by noon when DSS Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, would be around.
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The bailiff was said to have returned around 12:14 pm on Friday but was refused entrance.
DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunaya, had said on Thursday that the agency had not been served the court documents, prompting Mr Sowore’s lawyers led by Femi Falana to arrange for a fresh delivery of the affidavit of compliance on Friday.
The lawyers said they had initially delivered the same documents on Wednesday.
A lawyer from Mr Falana’s chambers, Emanuel Ogala, said on Friday that he was in the bailiff’s company when they were denied access into the DSS headquarters.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo had on Tuesday ordered that Sowore should be released from DSS custody immediately and handed over to Falana, who is to produce him for arraignment whenever he is required.
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The judge also ruled that Sowore should deposit his passport and other travel documents to guarantee his availability for trial.
Falana has, however, been unable to secure Sowore’s release despite the publisher of Sahara Reporters meeting his bail conditions on Wednesday.
