By David Olalekan.
A day before the expiration of the detention order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which empowers the Department of State Service (DSS) to detain the Convener of RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore for 45 days, the Federal Government has filed seven counts of treasonable felony and money laundering against him.
According to the charges signed by Aminu Alilu, a Chief State Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Sowore was accused of conspiracy to commit treasonable felony in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act by allegedly staging “a revolution campaign on September 5, 2019 aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The popular activist was also accused of money laundering in breach of section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 by alleged transferring by means of swift wire.
He was alleged to have been involved in the transfers of the sums of $19,975 on April 2, 2019; $20,475 on May 21, 2019, $16,975 on June 27, 2019, and another $16,975 on July 16, 2019.
The prosecution fingered Sowore in cybercrime offences in violation of section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, by “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Counsel to the RevolutionNow convener, Femi Falana (SAN) was yet to react to the charges as at press time.