Young activist, Olawale Bakare popularly known as Mandate,
who is standing trial with pro-democracy campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, in a case
brought against them by the Nigerian Government, has been declared
missing.
Operatives of the Department of State Services had stormed
the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday morning during the commencement of
their trial and disrupted proceedings in an attempt to forcefully rearrest the
two men.
After facing resistance from other activists inside the
courtroom, the DSS operatives retreated outside to lay ambush. The situation
led to tension within the court premises for several minutes.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, Senior Advocate of
Nigeria and lawyer to the two men, Femi Falana, was said to have ferried the
defendants in his car to the DSS headquarters where they were said to have been
detained. However, it has now emerged that only Sowore, who was in Falana’s
vehicle as they left the court, was submitted back to the DSS.
Operatives of the agency are currently searching for Bakare
in different parts of Abuja. The armed security personnel in their search for
the young activist, stormed Falana’s chamber in Abuja this afternoon hoping to
find him there.
A lawyer at the chamber confirmed to SaharaReporters that
armed DSS operatives visited the place minutes ago looking for Bakare after
claiming that he was not in their facility. The lawyer, who asked not to be
named, said;
“DSS operatives just stormed our chamber now looking for
Olawale Bakare. They claimed it was discovered he was not with them by the time
they arrived their office. They are currently searching everywhere for him. We
are hoping that he is safe wherever he is.”
After releasing Sowore and Bakare on Thursday evening, the
DSS on Friday filed fresh charges against them, rearresting and detaining
Sowore in the process. The uncertainty surrounding Bakare’s whereabouts at the
moment has indeed added a new twist to the matter.
He was arrested in Osogbo, Osun State, on August 5, 2019 for
participating in a nationwide peaceful demonstration aimed at demanding a
better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Together
with Sowore, Bakare was ordered to be released twice by the Federal High Court
in Abuja after meeting stringent bail conditions.
