UPDATE-Sowore’s lawyer says it's impossible to meet his bail conditions

The lawyer said the defence team would go back to court to demand a review of the conditions

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One of the lawyers in the legal team of Omoyele Sowore has said that the bail conditions for the convener of the #RevolutonNow campaign are too stringent and impossible to meet. 

On Friday, October 4, 2019, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted a N100m bail to Sowore with two sureties, who must be resident in Abuja and also have landed properties in the city. 

The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu as part of bail conditions for the activist held that the sureties must deposit the original copies of their properties document to the court registry, adding that one of the sureties must also deposit N50 million with the court pending the determination of the case.

The judge further barred Sowore from travelling outside Abuja and also asked him to deposit his passport with the court. 

However, speaking with TheCable on Saturday, a lawyer in Sowore’s legal team, Inibehe Effiong has said that the bail conditions are impossible to meet. 

Effiong said “Those conditions are not conditions that can be fulfilled. We have made contacts and explored all channels, clearly, nobody is willing to be a surety for that amount. That amount of money is not available, it is not realistic under the current economic situation.”

The lawyer said the defence team would go back to court to demand a review of the conditions. 

“We are going back to the trial court next week to seek a variation of the bail conditions.

“We understand bail is at the discretion of the court but the Administration of Criminal Justice Act allows us to apply for a variation where the conditions are such that the defendants cannot meet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sowore, who was charged with treason and money laundering by the Federal Government is still in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) as he has not been able to perfect his bail conditions.