Sowore: Police lied on why they arrested Abubakar Mashal – lawyer  

Tope Temokun, counsel to rights activist Omoyele Sowore has accused the police of lying on the reason why they arrested lawyers, Abubakar Mashal and Allen Sowore.

Recall that Barrister Marshal, a senior lawyer in Falana & Falana Chambers was reportedly arrested by policemen who laid siege to his residence.

According to reports, the arrest was in connection with a suit that was filed against the police during the week.

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Temokun in a statement captioned ‘Marshal’s Arrest Update: The Truth And The Lies Being Told!’, issued on Saturday described the arrest as a show of raw impunity.

The statement read, “Information reaching us was that Marshal had been moved this afternoon from Kuje prison to Keffi prison. This must be to deny him access to people and necessities.

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“Marshal was not arrested because he stood surety for Omoyele Sowore. Neither was he arrested because Sowore failed to report to the police. That is a lie from the pit of hell.

“This is what transpired and how the experts were beaten in their game. Abubakar Marshal and Allen Sowore were the two lawyers who followed Sowore on the 24th of February 2022 to the police station upon his arrest. Sowore didn’t write any statement as he insisted he did not commit any crime. When he was asked to go home that night, Sowore dropped his personal phone number with the commander of the unit for him to be contacted if they needed him.

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“On Tuesday, March 1st 2022, Sowore appeared before the Federal High Court Abuja (a public place) for his treasonable felony trial or re-arraignment. He moved from the court to the venue of his presidential declaration, Women Development Centre, another public place located at the heart of Abuja.

“Somebody who jumped bail was appearing in court and appearing for open presidential declaration and yet he was jumping bail. What a parody of narrative?

“The powers that be under Buhari government were irked that Sowore was able to do his presidential declaration as against all their scheming and grand-plan which was to remand Sowore before the planned declaration, till filing of nomination to INEC has closed.

“The arrangement was to have Sowore detained before 1st of March 2022, so that when his case in Charge Number FHC/ABJ/CR/235/19 would be called in court on the 1st of March 2022, Sowore would be absent and they could apply to the Court to revoke his bail and get bench warrant issued against him, preparatory for his renewed remand as 2023 politicking thickens.

“Ned Nwoko, whose complaint they are now hanging on to perpetuate this injustice, had written a pre-action notice dated the 20th day of December 2021 to Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, demanding the retraction of the publications he alleged were libelous against him and therefore he knew the character of his case was not only civil but also against Sahara Reporters as a legal entity and not Sowore.

“So the whole case is not primarily about Ned and his reputation or about Marshal standing as surety or about Sowore not reporting to the police but all about Sowore, a man under city arrest, declaring his presidential ambition openly, despite all machinations put in place to stop this. On the 1st of March 2022, Marshal was the counsel who appeared from FALANA Chambers to represent Sowore in his treasonable felony re-arraignment, while I joined him in court. Sowore and his lawyers are marked down for persecution. Simple.

“All of us connected to this cause are now on the watch-list. If the phone number stops ringing, it is not kidnapping. It is arrest. The regime has lost it. The police cell and prison are not meant for goats. Na for man! We are students of history. We know that time like this will come and go and does not usually last. No shaking.”