... Ask US, UK, UN to call FG to order on abuse of rule of law
Constitutional
lawyers and human rights activists from various parts of the country
have staged a protest in Abuja against the continued detention of former
National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and others
in spite the court bails granted them.
They
flayed the executive arm of the federal government for attempting to
derail the rule of law and democracy with utter disregard to valid and
lawful court decision.
The protesters made copious
reference to the ECOWAS Court of Justice which ordered the release of
Dasuki since last month but yet to be honoured by the government of
President Muhammadu Buhari.
The
lawyers also accused the executive arm of government of mistaking
persecution for prosecution insisting that any government or agency not
obeying valid court order cannot claim to be prosecuting offenders but
persecuting the alleged offenders.
The group
also passed a vote of confidence on the National Judicial Council over
the matured manner and clear terms the council has been handling the
invasion of the houses of two Supreme Court Justices and five other
cadres by the operatives of the Department of Security Service (DSS).
The
legal practitioners, who claimed that the unconstitutional ways and
manners the judges were arrested was a threat to democracy appealed to
the United Nations, United Kingdom, United States of America and the
Amnesty International to call the Federal Government to order and to
stop disobedience to the rule of law.
The
lawyers,’ operating under the aegis of “Lawyers in Defence of Democracy”
and the human right activists operating under the name “Citizens for
Good Governance”, jointly accused the executive arm of government of
plotting to overthrow the judiciary so as to enthrone abuse of human
rights and subversion of the rule of law.
During
rallies staged at the Federal High Court headquarters, Federal Ministry
of Justice and the National Human Rights Commission, the legal
practitioners and human rights activists noted with regret that Nigeria
is drifting to a dictatorship that may derail democracy and the
yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian citizens.
Spokesperson
for the aggrieved lawyers, Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said that
the executive arm under the guise of fighting corruption had debased the
1999 constitution and violating the provisions of the supreme law with
impunity. He appealed to the international community to take interest in
the ugly trend and call those in authority to order.
The
lawyers who carried placards with various inscriptions condemned the
method adopted in arresting the judges insisting that the ploy was aimed
at intimidating and harassing judicial officers to do the bidding of
the executive arm.
They
claimed that the government that has become notorious for disregarding
court orders and judgments cannot be taken serious and cannot be
believed to be acting in good faith with its claim of invading the
judges’ houses to fight corruption.
Specifically,
the lawyers noted with concern that several Nigerians accused of
corruptions, charged to court and granted bail by courts because they
are entitled to bails are still languishing in the custody of the DSS in
utter disregard to the lawful court orders.
Among
Nigerians said to have been granted bail but still been held by the
same DSS are former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, Mr.
Nnamdi Kanu and Air Marshall Umar Mohammed, adding that with the
antecedents of the government and the DSS, the future of Nigeria’s
democracy could be jeopardized.
“The invasion of
the judiciary is a threat to justice and democracy and anything that
violates section 158 of the 1999 constitution as amended must be
resisted and defeated. We urge Nigerians not to allow any warped sting
operation against marked judges who are not doing the biddings of the
executive arm of government and the DSS to sail through.
“How
come nobody has called for the DSS to step aside from judicial
prosecution until they have obeyed all courts judgment against the
agency?
“We unanimously pass a vote of confidence
on the National Judicial Council and the decision taken not to suspend
the judges until due process of the law is followed and prima facie case
of corruption established against the affected judges.
“While
we commend the NJC for defending the independence of the Judiciary, the
sanctity of democracy and the rule of law and sanctioning judges who
abused their offices, we urge NJC to compile the list of government
agencies and security agencies that are disobeying court orders and
direct courts not to hear cases from such bodies until all outstanding
court orders are obeyed.
“Deciding
to ignore judgment that are not in your favour and implementing ones
that protects your interests are clear signs of an emerging
dictatorship’
The
spokesperson further said that the DSS onslaught against justices
Sylvester Ngwuta, John Inyang Okoro, Adeniyi Ademola, Nnamdi Dimgba and
M.I Liman were revenge operations and not a fight against corruption,
adding that the offence of Justice Ngwuta was his lead judgment in the
Ekiti Governorship election which the ruling party wanted at all cost.
Ugochinyere
also stated that Justice Ademola ran into trouble when he granted bail
in the case of Sambo Dsuki, Nnamdi Kanu and his decision or ruling in
the president’s Muhammadu Buhari certificate saga and the order made
against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN,
when Malami misbehaved in Kano.
In the case of
Justice Dimgba, the lawyers claimed that the judge ran into trouble with
DSS when he ruled that he will not hear any application by the DSS
until they obey all his earlier orders that declared the detention of
former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall Umar Mohammed as unlawful
and ordered his release.
They therefore called on
the NJC and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmood Mohammed to
direct courts in the country not to hear any application from DSS and
other agencies in the matter of Dasuki and others until they obey all
pending court orders against them.
By PRNigeria
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