A group, the Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly, has called for the prosecution of politician and former African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over the alleged leaking of video footage from an ongoing court proceeding involving the Department of State Services.
The group accused Sowore of contempt of court and breaching national security laws by allegedly circulating a video clip showing his lawyer cross-examining a DSS operative in a cyberbullying case instituted against him by the secret police.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa, the group described the leaked footage as “contempt of court, a mockery of our judicial system and, above all, a grave breach of national security.”
According to the group, the video — which it alleged was leaked by Sowore — exposed the identity of a DSS operative, in violation of the National Security Agencies Act (1986) and the Official Secrets Act (1962).
“In the United States, where Sowore lived for decades, blowing the cover of a secret service agent is a violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and constitutes a very serious crime,” the statement said.
“In Nigeria, exposing the identity of a secret service agent who has sworn an oath of secrecy is a breach of both the National Security Agencies Act (1986) and the Official Secrets Act of 1962,” it added.
The group said Sowore and his legal team ought to have known the gravity of their actions, noting that while he is currently standing trial for alleged cyberbullying, the leaked footage could expose him to more serious criminal liability.
“Sowore and his lawyer should have known better. He is undergoing trial for alleged cyberbullying, but by leaking footage that reveals a DSS operative, he could now face prosecution under the National Security Agencies Act (1986) and the Official Secrets Act (1962),” the statement read.
The group further stressed that ignorance of the law was no defence.
“Ignorance, they say, is not an excuse. Personnel of the DSS are bound by a strict oath of secrecy to protect national security, official documents and classified information — which is why people like Sowore often refer to the agency as ‘secret police’,” the group said.
It added that violations of the relevant laws could attract severe punishment.
“To be clear, the punishment for breaching these laws includes up to 20 years imprisonment, in addition to fines and asset forfeiture,” the statement noted.
The group also called on the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, to treat the matter as direct contempt of court (in facie curiae) and impose appropriate sanctions.
“This most disrespectful conduct by the defendant must not be allowed to go unpunished. We respectfully urge his Lordship to mete out appropriate sanctions on the defendant who attempted to turn the hallowed chambers of the court into a circus,” the group said.
“It is of utmost importance to teach the defendant a hard lesson that Nigeria is not the banana republic he and his ilk often portray on social media.”
The controversial video clip, which runs for about 12 minutes and has since gone viral on social media, shows Sowore’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, cross-examining a witness identified as a DSS operative.
The footage also captured an objection raised by counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), as well as a ruling by the trial judge.
Efforts by our correspondent to obtain reactions from Sowore or his lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, were unsuccessful, as neither responded to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
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