Detained Sowore rejects Apostle Suleman’s surety offer

 

Sowore’s lawyer says Suleman was not eligible to stand surety for the detained activist.

Omoyele Sowore

Embattled activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has turned down a surety offer from Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries.

Suleman had on Monday, November 4, 2019, stated that he may stand surety for Sowore regardless of how the journalist has hurt him.

“I am really worried that nobody is ready to stand surety for @YeleSowore.. yes he has hurt a lot of people,me inclusive. But do we focus on that and let his rot where he is wvwn (sic) if he caused it in a situation like this what will Christ do?.am ‘considering’ standing bail for him..,” Suleman tweeted.

Sowore had in a report published through his platform in 2017, accused Apostle Suleman of engaging in extra-marital affairs with a Canadian based actress, Stephanie Otobo. [The Nation]

In response to the surety offer, one of Sowore’s lawyers, Inibehe Effiong, said Suleman was not eligible to stand surety for the detained activist.

While emphasizing that the court was clear that the surety must be resident in Abuja, Effiong maintained that the offer cannot be considered,

Asides the fact that he is not eligible for the surety, Effiong said Suleman has had a public altercation with his client (Sowore).

Addressing how the activist will meet his bail conditions, Effiong said the Federal Government had politicized the matter by discouraging people from standing surety for his client.

Effiong however expressed confidence that the activist will meet his bail conditions soon.

Punch quotes the lawyer as saying, “His (Suleman’s) offer cannot be considered let alone accepted. The man who is making the offer is on record of having had a public altercation with Sowore. So, there will be no basis for Sowore to consider it.

“The court stated that the surety must be resident in Abuja and the last time I checked, he was not resident in Abuja. So, I am not sure he is eligible to stand surety for him. So there is no way Sowore can accept such an offer.

“So, we are turning it down and we are not even considering it. The way the Federal Government politicized the matter, made it difficult for the bail conditions to be met. But we are in the process of perfecting the bail.”

Recall that Sowore was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, August 3, 2019, after announcing his plan to stage a nationwide protest tagged #RevolutionNow.