By Camillus Eboh
ABUJA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A Nigerian court on Thursday
ordered the state security agency to release within 24 hours a
Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate who has
remained in detention despite having been granted bail.
Omoyele Sowore, who ran for president as a minor candidate
in the February election in which former military ruler
President Muhammadu Buhari secured a second term in office, was
arrested in August for calling for a revolution. His continued detention has led to criticism of Buhari's
administration amid claims that human rights have been flouted
in this case and those of other high profile figures such as the
leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Shi'ite Muslim
group who has been held since 2015 without a trial. In September, Sowore pleaded not guilty to charges of
treason, money laundering and harassing the president. He was
granted bail on Oct. 4 but has not been released by the
Department for State Security which said the bail conditions had
not been met. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on Thursday ordered the state security
agency to release Sowore within 24 hours and pay costs of
100,000 naira ($280).
The case was adjourned until Friday.
Last month Sowore's supporters accused the security agency
of opening fire on unarmed people staging a peaceful protest
calling for his release. The security agency denied the
allegations. In September, the United Nations special rapporteur on
extrajudicial killings condemned what she said was the excessive
use of lethal force in policing IMN processions. The group has
said more than 20 of its supporters have been killed this year
by police officers, which the Nigeria Police Force has
denied.