DSS Court invasion: An insult to our Democracy says LAWSAN

The Law Students Association of Nigeria has bared its mind on the arrest of Omoleye Sowore at the Federal High Court Abuja on the 6th of December, 2019. In a statement made available to TheNigerianLawyer (TNL) dated the 7th Day of December, 2019 and signed by Emmanuel Nwobodo, the LAWSAN president, the student’s body condemns the arrest as being illegal.

Read the full statement below:

“We have followed, with great concern, the unfortunate news of the arrest of Sowore. It is saddening and embarrassing that the arrest was effected inside the court. This is bizarre, to say the least. It is totally illegal.

“For the avoidance of doubt, section 43 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 provides as follows:

43. (1) A warrant of arrest may be executed on any day, including a Sunday or public holiday.
(2) A warrant of arrest may be executed by any police officer at any time and in any place in any State other than within the actual courtroom in which a court is sitting.

“The above provision is clear and unambiguous that a person shall not be arrested inside court. But unfortunately, the DSS took law unto their own hands. We therefore condemn in stronger terms the act of the DSS.

“This is totally unacceptable. To our very before, the rule of law was buried. Our democracy was buried and raped. The holy temple of justice was defiled in broad day light!

“Ours is a constitutional democracy founded on Rule of Law, not dictatorship and anything outside rule of law is an invitation to anarchy. We are calling on President Buhari to act fast as the image of the country is at stake. The service of those at the helms of affairs of the DSS should be disengaged for behind this illegality.”

Emmanuel Nwobodo,
President,
Law Students Association of Nigeria