Archbishop of Canterbury replies SERAP’s letter on Sowore

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd Justin Portal Welby has responded to an open letter by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) concerning the continued detention of Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare

SERAP had urged him to use his good offices and friendship with President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on him to obey court orders most recently involving activists who had remained in arbitrary detention despite a court order for their release.

This development was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.

Responding on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury through an email last night, Dominic Goodall, the Chief Correspondence Officer at the Lambeth Palace, said:

Goodall’s email read in part:

“Thank you for taking the time to share your comments and concerns on this matter, which have been noted. Please be assured that I will communicate your concerns to the Archbishop and his staff team so that they are aware of your concerns. Thank you again for taking the time to write.

“We are very delighted that our letter and the concerns that it raises have caught the attention of the Archbishop. Given his public record for justice and human rights, we have absolutely no doubt that he will prevail on President Buhari to obey not just the court order for the release of Sowore and Bakare but all court orders.

“But it should never have reached this level, as the government ought to have obeyed court orders as a matter of routine”