Yele Sowore and the renewal of radical politics in Nigeria
On Friday, 20 September, the federal government of Nigeria filed seven counts of treasonable felony and money laundering against Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, and National Chair of the African Action Congress. Four days later, the court granted him bail, with conditions which included his lawyers’ submission of his (Sowore’s) international passport to the court. The conditions were immediately met by the radical lawyer, Femi Falana. But the state refused to release him, only to drag him to a more pliant court where horrendous bail conditions were set, including: a bail bond of $280,000; no public speaking, including to the press; restriction of his movement to Abuja, the federal capital territory. Olawale “Mandate” Adebayo, the 21-year old #RevolutionNow activist who was equally charged with him had his bail bond set at $140,000. The lifelong activist was arrested on 3 August by the Department of State Services (DSS, the secret police). This was an ...