A group of women, on Thursday, protested in front of the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of the Publisher of Sahara Reporters online newspaper, Omoyele Sowore, and his co-accused, Olawale Bakare.
The women, numbering about 30, were in white wrappers and bra with no clothes covering the upper parts of their bodies. They asked the State Security Service (SSS) to release their son, Mr Sowore.
They were believed to be from Mr Sowore’s village, in Kiribo, Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Messrs Sowore and Bakare were produced in court on Thursday, with the judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, ordering the SSS to release them from the illegal detention within 24 hours.
The two face a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, fraud, cyber-stalking and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
There have been growing calls for their release, with many condemning the government of President Buhari for their arrests and charges.
The trial which was scheduled to commence on Thursday was adjourned to Friday, following a report of compliance with the fresh order for their release.
The protesting women arrived at the court on Thursday but were not allowed entry into the court premises.
They stayed by the gate brandishing their placards with various inscriptions calling for Mr Sowore’s release. They departed long after the proceedings had ended.
Many of the aged women with grey hair, speaking in their Apoi dialect, appealed to President Buhari to release their son from custody.
Some of their placards read: “Sowore is not a criminal, release our son now.”
The accused persons were returned to custody by the SSS operatives.
