DSS Owes Sowore Apology For ‘Unnecessary’ Prosecution, Lawyer Questions Plan To Suspend Trial Until After 2027 Election | Sahara Reporters

Omaga said the realisation had come too late, describing the prosecution as “ill-planned and unnecessary from the outset.”

A lawyer and President of the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), Barrister Edward Omaga, has criticised the reported decision by the Department of State Services (DSS) to seek an adjournment of its case against human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the 2027 presidential election.

Omaga described the move as a “remarkable summersault”, questioning why the DSS had suddenly become concerned about ensuring a level playing field for Sowore after initially prosecuting him over his description of President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

In a statement dated August 31, 2026, Omaga said the reported decision raised questions about what had changed since the prosecution began.

“The question on the lips of many Nigerians is simple: what has changed? Definitely, the alleged statement made by Sowore has not changed. The circumstances surrounding it have not changed,” he said.

He added that the case had not suddenly become irrelevant because an election was approaching, arguing that what had changed was the DSS’s recognition that the prosecution could affect Sowore’s participation in the election.

“What has actually changed is that the DSS now realises that the prosecution could interfere with Sowore’s participation in the forthcoming election,” he said.

Omaga said the realisation had come too late, describing the prosecution as “ill-planned and unnecessary from the outset.”

He argued that public officials in a democracy should be prepared to face criticism, including harsh or provocative comments.

“In a democracy, public officials must expect criticism, including harsh, unpleasant and provocative criticism,” he said.

“The President, Governors and other public officers are not above scrutiny merely because they occupy public offices,” he added.

According to him, although describing the President in offensive terms could be considered irresponsible or politically provocative, such comments should not automatically attract the attention of the country’s domestic intelligence agency.

“The DSS should have been concerned primarily with matters that threaten national security, not with policing political insults or legitimate complaints about bad governance,” Omaga said.

He further argued that the prosecution had produced an unintended consequence by demonstrating that the powers of security agencies were not unlimited.

“Sowore has demonstrated that the enormous powers of the State are not unlimited. He has shown that a Nigerian citizen can challenge the machinery of government and insist on his or her constitutional rights,” he said.

Omaga said the development should reassure Nigerians that criticism of President Tinubu or other levels of government should not automatically result in arrest or prosecution.

The GICN president also questioned the amount of public funds that had been spent on the case, noting that the DSS is funded by taxpayers.

He said Nigerians are entitled to ask why public resources were deployed to the prosecution if the agency now considers it appropriate for the matter to wait until after the presidential election.

He subsequently called on the DSS to apologise to Sowore, his family, lawyers and supporters who, he said, had endured anxiety and pressure as a result of the prosecution.

“I submit finally that the DSS owes Sowore an apology. It owes an apology to his family, his lawyers and the numerous supporters who have been subjected to the anxiety, pressure and trauma associated with the prosecution,” he said.

“An apology will not weaken the DSS. It will demonstrate maturity and respect for the Nigerian people.”

He urged the DSS not to repeat what he described as a situation in which political dissent was confused with criminality.

“Whenever Nigerians complain about bad governance or express their anger with the State, the appropriate response is not always arrest or prosecution. Sometimes, the appropriate response is for the persons in authority to simply listen,” Omaga said.