DSS: No Court Order To Release Abia Lawyer Who Called Nigeria ‘Islamic Republic’

The Department of State Services (DSS) rearrested Gabriel Emperor Ogbonna, an Aba-based lawyer in Abia State, for calling Nigeria an “Islamic Republic” and inciting division of the country, THE WHISTLER has learnt.

Ogbonna was said to have also called for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.

A DSS source told THE WHISTLER that the lawyer also called for the removal of the North from Nigeria and incited Igbos into perceiving the president as a leader that hates the south east people.

According to the source, the legal practitioner also claimed that northerners were responsible for the country’s problems.

The service was reacting to the call for the lawyer’s release by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa on Sunday.

Adegboruwa, in a statement, said Emperor Ogbonna had been in detention since March 24, 2020, having been arrested in his office by operatives of the DSS and armed policemen.

He claimed that the lawyer was initially taken to the Abia State Police Command where he was confronted with a petition written against him that he published falsehood against the Governor of Abia State, that the latter swore to an oath at the Ancient Harashima.

But the DSS source indicated that Ogbonna was rearrested for another complaint against him, different from his alleged false claims against the Abia State governor.

Adegboruwa had said, “He (Ogbonna) was eventually arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court and remanded in custody. The activist was later charged before the Federal High Court, Umuahia and was admitted to bail by the said court.
Ogbonna perfected the conditions of his bail and was released from the Correctional Centre on April 28, 2020, but he was arrested immediately by the Abia State Director of DSS. He has now been transferred to Abuja,” a part of Adegboruwa’s statement reads.

But the DSS, in a swift reaction, said there was no court order on it granting bail to the legal practitioner, adding that the service is keeping him, pursuant to court orders.

“The DSS arrested him for a different offence/complaint and there is no Court order on DSS granting him bail.

“Mr. Emperor was calling for the impeachment of president Buhari, describing Nigeria as an Islamic Republic, calling for the removal of Northern Nigeria from Nigeria, inciting Igbo that President Buhari is an Igbo Hater, that the problem is Nigeria is Northern Nigerians etc.
“DSS is keeping him pursuant to Orders Court,” it said.