The Department of State Services (DSS) has alleged that Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, conspired with Nnamdi Kanu to overthrow the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a counter-affidavit filed at the federal high court, Abuja, in response to an application by Sowore, the DSS said Sowore held a series of meetings with Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to “mobilise strong forces” to realise his agenda.
In July, the duo had met in New York to discuss “how to fight Nigerian oppressors”.
A few weeks later, the secret police arrested Sowore just two days to the kick off of the #RevolutionNow protest.
In the application filed by Godwin Agbadua, an official of the DSS, the agency said its investigations had shown that the protest was a smokescreen for Sowore and his allies “to topple the government”.
The security agency said it would approach the court to extend the 45 days order to detain Sowore to 90 days it initially requested for.
“The respondent/applicant (Sowore) planned to violently change the government through the hashtag RevolutionNow, ” the agency said.
“The respondent/applicant hid under the cover of call for mass protest with the hashtag RevolutionNow to mislead unsuspecting and innocent members of the public into joining him to topple the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In his plot to topple the government the respondent/applicant held series of meetings with members at a prescribed terrorist organisation, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) with a view to mobilising strong forces to realise his agenda at changing the government.
“The respondent formed an alliance with a fugitive, Nnamdi Kanu, a self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed terrorists group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to launch series of attacks on Nigeria with a view to violently removing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.