The federal government has confirmed payment of the sum of N200, 000 to the defence team in the trial of the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore and another. At the resumed hearing on Thursday, prosecution counsel, A.K. Alilu informed the court that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation being a law-abiding one has complied with the order of the court by making the payment which was the cost for delayed service of new charges.
Also, defence counsel, Abdul Mahmud confirmed that the sum was paid into the account of the senior defence counsel Olumide Fusika (SAN). Mahmud, however, informed the court that some relevant materials have not been served on the defence as directed by the court.
Meanwhile, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu has admitted the application by Alilu to substitute the previous charge of September 20, 2019, for a fresh two-count charge bordering on reasonable felony dated February 10, 2020.
Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 general elections, and Olawale Bakare, were on Agust 3, 2019 arrested in Lagos by the Department of State Services (DSS) over their calls for a nationwide protest against alleged bad governance.
When the fresh charges were read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty. However, Sowore said he was only following the advice by his lawyers to plead so.