The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday ordered that online publisher and presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, be taken back to the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, if he fails to meet the bail conditions granted him last Tuesday by 4 p.m. today.
Last week, Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling on Sowore's application for stay of execution of the order for his bail revocation, admitted him to a N200 million bail bond. In addition, the judge ordered the politician to deposit his international passport, and produce two sureties, one must be a traditional ruler from his community.
Justice Umar held that the other surety must have a landed property in Abuja, and that the sureties must be verified by the prosecution, ordered Sowore to also deposit his international passport with deputy chief registrar of the court.
At the resumption of the defamation charges slammed on him by the Department of the State Service (DSS) for allegedly calling President Tinubu a criminal in his X and Facebook handles, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN told the court that the defendant was yet to fulfill the bail conditions.
The senior lawyer consequently applied to the court to Issue an order remanding Sowore at Kuje Correctional Centre. The lawyer noted that, while the court graciously granted Sowore several days to perfect his bail conditions, the politician rather chose to use the period to grant television interviews.
Kehinde SAN argued that the orders of court are meant to be obeyed, adding that since Sowore had not obeyed the court order by perfecting the bail conditions, the consequence is for his remand until the conditions are fully met.
According to the DSS lawyer, up till Monday, the defendant had not informed him of any challenge in meeting the bail conditions or filing any application for the variation of the bail conditions.
"The defendant was released to his lawyer to go and bring his passport to be deposited with the court. That has not been communicated to us, and other conditions of the bail have not been met. The law is trite, no sentiment," Kehinde told the court, stressing, "our application is that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Center until the bai conditions are met."
However, following pleas by Sowore's lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide- Fusika, SAN, Justice Umar granted until the close of work on Monday to meet the conditions, failing which Sowore returns to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Fusika then assured the court that the passport will be deposited in court before the close of work on Monday.
He blamed the of the passport recovery from the American Embassy in Lagos on the fact of the celebration of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.
