The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court had issued the warrants for the release of the duo, which the DSS acknowledged the receipt, but said it was unable to release Sowore and Bakare because there was no lawyer to receive them.
Sowore was arrested in Lagos on August 3 and subsequently flown to Abuja where he is being detained.
Last month, a federal high court in Abuja granted him bail, but the secret police refused to release him despite fulfilling the bail conditions.
On Friday, Peter Afunanya, spokesman of the secret police, acknowledged that the agency had received the order to release Sowore, but said the service had not freed him because no one showed up on his behalf.
However, on Saturday morning, lawyers, supporters and family members of the activist visited the DSS headquarters, but were denied access to him.
Abubakar Marshal, one of the activist’s lawyers, arrived at the DSS office at 10:00a.m alongside some members of Sowore’s family, but security operatives prevented them from gaining access to the facility.
The operatives manning the gate had asked them of their mission and the lawyer introduced himself, saying he was there to pick up his client.
But they said he would not be allowed in until they got clearance from their superiors. This led to altercation as the lawyer vowed not to leave there until Sowore was out.
In the heat of the argument, a legal director at DSS put a call to the Marshal, saying that he was not around.
This prompted some of the supporters of Sowore to stage a protest outside the headquarters of the secret police.
They vowed to continue occupying the DSS headquarters until Sowore is released. After waiting for over three hours, some of the lawyers left.
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