National Association of Yoruba Descendants in North America, a pan-Yoruba organisation, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately release Omoyele Sowore, convener of #RevolutionNow movement and others who have been granted bail by the court but still being held by the government.
The organisation, also known as Egbe Omo Yoruba of North America, frowned at the continuous disregard for court orders by the Buhari’s administration, thereby calling on him to release the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and Olawale Bakare.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National President, Durojaye Odimayo Akindutire, the group condemned the recent invasion of a Federal High Court in Abuja by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the subsequent re-arrest of Sowore.
Egbe Omo Yoruba noted that it is particularly disgraceful that the actions of the DSS agents took place in the court room in utter disdain for the rule of law.
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According to the statement, “We have observed with great alarm the Nigerian government’s arbitrary exercise of power as well as its selective obedience to law – choosing which lawful order of the court to obey and ones to disobey. When our laws don’t apply equally to all citizens, including elected and unelected officials, we are as nation are teetering on the brink of collapse.
“We call on the Buhari administration to start retracing its steps by obeying lawful orders emanating from our courts and releasing forthwith those affected by these orders – Omoyele Sowore, Olawale Bakare, Col. Sambo Dasuki and Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.
“We support the suggestion of sanctions by Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez as a way of bringing the Nigerian government to order. We are encouraged by other individuals and groups that are standing up to be counted on the side of obedience to lawful court orders.
“We also call on all Nigerians to stand strongly for freedom by resisting lawfully the government’s direct attack on free speech as represented by the unpopular hate speech and social media bills, which contains many provisions that do not meet international human rights standards.”
Quoting John F. Kennedy, the organization said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”, adding that, “We are watching and keeping records of those who right now are standing up for freedom and those, especially party and government officials who are sitting idle in support for tyranny.”
