Nigerian Activist, Deji Adeyanju, has accused the State Security Service of offering him a bribe to shelve a protest demanding the release of SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
WITHIN NIGERIA reported that protesters, who gathered at the Office of DSS over the continued dentention of Omoyele Sowore were dispersed by armed officers.
Meanwhile, Mr Adeyanju on Tuesday in Abuja displayed N1 million cash he said was offered to him by agents of the SSS.
Adeyanju led several other protesters to the headquarters of the SSS in Abuja on Tuesday morning. The demonstrators have been asking the SSS to comply with a federal court order for Mr Sowore to be released from custody.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that Sowore was last month granted bail by the Federal High Court in his ongoing trial for alleged treason and alleged plot of overthrowing the present government. He, however, met the stringent bail conditions on November 6, but the SSS has declined to release him.
Also, Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana,alleged SSS of plots to file additional charges against Mr Sowore in order to continue justifying his remand in custody, which he declared as effectively illegal since Wednesday when he met all conditions.
After SSS claimed on Friday that it was holding Mr Sowore because no one had come to pick him up, Mr Adeyanju held a sit-in outside its headquarters on Saturday to demand Mr Sowore’s release, but the secret police ignored the protesters. With indications on Saturday that the SSS was not ready to release Mr Sowore.
On Tuesday, as operation resumed across the country following a public holiday, Mr Adeyanju returned with activists to demand SSS compliance with the court order.
Following the demonstration, Deji Adeyanju displayed new N500 notes he said totalled N1 million before other protesters and newsmen.
The Activist alleged that the money was offered to him by the SSS at gunpoint to call off the protest.
For further clarification,spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunanya, was contacted but did not return calls seeking comments about Mr Adeyanju’s allegation.