March 28, 2024

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have stated that they are still investigating the mobile phones seized from pro-democracy campaigner and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, from as far back as August 2019.

Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters, had instituted a suit against the DSS to compel the agency to return his phones seized since August 2019 when he was first arrested.

The case came up on Wednesday before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the opening statement by Sowore’s lawyer, Mrs Funmi Falana, she prodded the DSS lawyer on the illegality of the seizures.

The DSS lawyer rambled away while trying to explain why the lawless organisation, known for human rights violations, could not provide a valid court order that led them to seize the phones and take N10,000 from his hotel room during his abduction in August 2019.

The DSS told Justice Chikere that the phones were “recovered” during his arrest and not seized.

The agency added that the phones were still being investigated for links to terrorism.

Two lawyers from the Ministry of Justice also argued that they were raising preliminary objection to the lawsuit because Sowore was undergoing trial before another federal judge.

Falana, however, faulted the positions, while informing the judge that apart from not obtaining a court order to seize the phones, the government had also refused to return the phones and monies despite entreaties.

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