HOW WE EXPECT DSS TO PROCESS SOWORE – DPA Rambo

DPA has been in the business of knowing how various Nigerian law enforcement agencies process their cases.

Here, we shall present to you our estimation of how the DSS will treat the case of Sowore based on what we learned by interviewing 120 people who have been arrested and detained by the DSS in the past two years.

Looking at Sowore’s background, it was easy to base in America, set up a website and use it to blackmail people, and get paid by those who did’t want their names smeared by you. What is not easy is to enter Nigeria and play pranks with revolutions. Living outside Nigeria and attacking people in Nigeria, you’re virtually beyond the reach of law. But not so if you operate from anywhere within Nigeria.

When the musician, 2-Face, called for “Mother of all Protest”, DSS did not get involved. It was the police that confronted him and threatened him. They convinced him of the kind of trouble he would be into if he went ahead. The artist backed off and didn’t go ahead with the planned protest, to the disappointment of those who had hoped to match along with him.

But when Sowore indicated that he was planning a Revolution Protest, it wasn’t the police that responded. Rather, it was the DSS. Why? The aim of achieving a revolution and regime change is radically different from a protest. Sowore is a politician with ambition to rule Nigeria. So his motive is purely political and does not have the altruistic element that 2-Face had. Politicians who lost election should not be allowed to achieve by revolution that which they failed to achieve by the ballot. Sowore lives in the United States and could be working in affiliation with foreign agents, including, possibly, powerful international media houses. Recall the impact of recent story by Wall Street Journal. And given that Sowore is now a leader of a political party, he may be working with some other political parties to cause a breakdown of law and order around the time the election tribunal is getting ready to render judgment in the Atiku’s case that seeks to unseat the President.

Can you imagine what will happen if the tribunal gives its judgment during the time people are protesting in Abuja? A recent protest in Abuja became violet and led to many deaths. What if Sowore’s revolution is to be joined by the Shiites?

With all the above in mind, it should be expected that Sowore’s Revolution Protest would be treated as treasonable. If you look at cases involving treason charges – revolutions, insurgency, militancy – DSS is the main agency responsible.

Sowore was arrested at his home in Lagos few days after he arrived in Nigeria. It suggests that the DSS had a close or detailed tab on his activities. If the arrest was based on some generalized outstanding suspicion, he would have been arrested at the airport on arrival. So, the DSS must have waited till the last minute. Otherwise, they would have just continued to monitor his activities. The call for Revolution Protest was probably only the trigger. Otherwise, they could have just invited him and convinced him not to go ahead with his revolution protest.

After arresting him in Lagos, he was moved to Abuja. He will be held at the DSS Headquarters, Abuja, and not at their FCT Command base. There is a significant difference between being held at the Headquarters and being held at the Command. Political cases (treason cases) are processed at the Headquarters while other cases such as kidnappings and low level terrorism are handled at the Command. Nnamdi Kanu, Sambo, El-Zakzakky were all held at the Headquarters. In fact when arrested out of Abuja, the only reason for DSS to take you to Abuja is because your case to be processed by the Headquarters.

Suspects detained at the Headquarters are treated better than those detained at the Command. Feeding is better. DSS makes extensive use of torture in interrogation. Such involves extreme torture, consisting mainly of beatings and extreme degrading treatments. But the agency hardly subjects treason subjects to torture. So, Sowore will most likely not be tortured or beaten. Also, DSS is aware of the publicity his arrest has attracted.

Upon arriving at the DSS Headquarters, he will be deeply interrogated and will be confronted with whatever information the DSS want him to clarify. Make no mistake about it, if the DSS really want to nail Sowore, they have extensive materials at their disposal. The irony is that some of the things they may have on him will be based of their own dealings with him in the past. For instance, during the time Ibori was being tried in London, some British officers used Sahara Reporters to release subjudice information on the case, that no British media could have agreed to publish without access to related information. Sowore was paid nearly 400 thousand dollars over the use of Sahara Reporters in reaching the members of the jury without violating British media rules. DSS would know all that.

Ordinarily, when arrested for non-capital offenses, you must be charged to court within 24 hours. But this time limit does not apply in capital offense, of which treason is one. So, DSS can detain Sowore for without charging him to court and without violating the constitution in so far as they had arrested him based on reasonable suspicion. (See Section 35 of 1999 Constitution). Should they wish to follow the 24 hour rule, they have until Tuesday morning because he was arrested during the weekend.

DSS may decide not to charge Sowore to court depending on the outcome of the interrrogation. We believe that understanding that the DSS could squeeze him had based on what they have on him, Sowore will cut a deal. He will promise to relent and never talk of revolution again. They may let him go on Tuesday. But there are some risks the DSS must consider. If they release him without charging him, that will be handing to him a propaganda tool he could use against them or to further his political ambition. He can even sue them for unlawful arrest.

Besides, since he is based overseas, releasing him might lead to him leaving Nigeria and continuing to use Sahara Reporters as had in the past. He can target DSS officers and their families for smear campaign, as vengeance. Sowore is a very vindictive person.

Weighing the options, it is very likely they will charge him to court later in the week. If they decide to, they will have the following factors in mind.

1) The DSS have been able to really intimidate the judges. The judges are scared of them. So, they will not fear any vigorous judicial resistance to any serious push from them.

2) They have not cared much about public outcry. So the demands for the release of Sowore will not move them, just as similar outcry in Nnamdi Kanu case or El-Zalzzaky case did not move them.

3) Faced with all manner of pressures, President Buhari may want to show that he is still in control and he has many ways to signal to DSS commanders to make an example of Sowore.

If charged, he will likely not be granted bail and if granted bailey, his passport will be withheld as a condition for bail, making it impossible for him to run to hide in the US. Once the DSS gets it claws on a person, they try to keep you under their control for a long time.

Nobody knows exactly how it will come out in the and. But from now, Sowore has started earning a genuine mileage as an opposition figure. No more cheap credentials for a revolutionary.

As for the revolution, not yet. Most of those supporting Sowore are on the social media, particularly Nigerians overseas. Their excitement is totally understandable. But they are simply not available for the Revolution Now Protest. Some state Governors such as Wike, not a friend of the President, have made it clear that they don’t want the Revolution Now protest in their states. It will seem that the Revolution will occur mainly on the social media.

Culled from DPA