The convener of #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday, disputed the allegation by the Department of State Services that he met several times with “foreign collaborators” in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, to strategise on how to topple President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
He also debunked the agency’s allegation that he received “millions of dollars” from the alleged collaborators at the meetings to sponsor widespread attacks on Nigeria with a view toppling the Nigerian government.
Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and a presidential candidate in the last poll, said contrary to the DSS’s claims, he had never visited Dubai or any of the UAE cities.
He said he had never received any money from any person or organisations for the purpose of toppling government, adding that had willingly provided his local and foreign banks’ account details to the DSS.
He also said he never planned a coup as claimed by the DSS, but only mobilised Nigerians “to address the crises of corruption, maladministration, mismanagement of the economy and insecurity”.
The activist, who has been in the DSS custody since August 2, 2019, made the rebuttals in a “further affidavit” filed on Tuesday before the Federal High Court in Abuja in support of his motion challenging the order for his detention which the court issued at the instance of the DSS on August 8, 2019.
The ‘further affidavit’ was deposed to on his behalf by one of his lawyers, Mr Marshall Abubakar.
Abubakar of Femi Falana’s law firm said Sowore never planned a coup, but “mobilised the Nigerian people including students and youths, workers, market women and other oppressed people to influence the Federal government, the 36 state governments and 774 local governments to address the crises of corruption, and insecurity.”