Lawyer Condemns DSS Over ‘Tyrannical’ Charges Against Detained Workers’ Leader, Andrew Emelieze
Barrister Femi Aborisade, legal counsel to detained activist and workers’ rights advocate Andrew Emelieze, has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a four-count charge filed against his client, describing it as a “tyrannical attempt” to criminalize peaceful protest and free speech.
Emelieze, who serves as the National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, was officially served with the charge sheet (Charge No. FHC/IB/47C/2025) on Tuesday, July 8, in the presence of his legal representative, Mr. Yusuff Akinola.
In a strongly worded statement, Aborisade, Managing Partner at ABOPE Chambers, denounced the charges as baseless and politically motivated, aimed at stifling constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Count One accuses Emelieze of making statements considered “injurious to the President,” allegedly in violation of Section 50(2)(a) of the Criminal Code, suggesting seditious conduct.
Count Two claims he threatened to storm Aso Rock with protesters a move the DSS says breaches Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime Act.
Count Three alleges that Emelieze assembled individuals at the Oyo State Secretariat to cause public fear a charge his lawyer insists misinterprets the law.
Count Four states that Emelieze refused a DSS invitation a claim the legal team disputes, asserting he voluntarily honored the agency’s call on July 3 and has been in their custody since.
Barrister Aborisade argued that the Cybercrime Act, amended in 2024, no longer criminalizes peaceful speech or protest, and that the DSS’s actions represent an abuse of legal authority.
“Protesting with placards and issuing press statements are democratic rights,” Aborisade said. “Andrew Emelieze is a peaceful man.
He is not a terrorist. He is not a bandit. He is a committed advocate for the poor and the working class.”
He further criticized the DSS for ignoring a valid remand order by a Chief Magistrate’s Court on July 4, which directed that Emelieze be held at the Agodi Correctional Centre. Instead, the DSS has continued to detain him unlawfully in its custody.
