A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday threatened to jail the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, for the continued detention of the convener of the RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore.

The Federal High Court had, after ruling that the previous order issued for the DSS to detain Sowore for 45 days had elapsed, Tuesday ordered that he be immediately released.

The federal government had accused Sowore, convener of the ‘RevolutionNow Movement’, of attempting to oust President Muhammadu Buhari from office.

In a notice addressed to Bichi and dated September 26, the court berated the DSS boss for not releasing Sowore despite an order to do so.

But the DSS denied disobeying the court orders and explained why Sowore was still in its custody.

The spokesman of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, told Daily Trust that Sowore and his lawyers had not concluded the procedure and processes that would enable the Service to comply with the court order.

Afunanya said Sowore’s lawyers were competent enough to know the required documents to show before he could be released.

Reacting to the claim, Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, said it is an insult for DSS to say that it did not receive copies of the court order directing it to immediately release his client.

Falana told Channels Television that the court had asked his client to deposit his passports with the court, which has been done. He said that for the past three days he has been at the DSS office for hours to effect the release of Sowore, whom the court ordered should be released to him.

The human rights activist wondered what other conditions the DSS is demanding to be met.

•Based on reports by Channels TV and Daily Trust.

Update news