Dasuki threatens boycott of court proceedings

Former National Security Adviser, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), has berated the federal government over his continued detention and disobedience to various court orders that admitted him to bails and release from unlawful detention since 2015.

In a letter personally signed by Dasuki and addressed to the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, he vowed to boycott any proceeding for his trial since the federal government has proved beyond reasonable doubt that it would not obey any order of the court, even if it is in his favour.

Apart from the Federal High Court issuing an order for Dasuki’s bail, the ECOWAS Court of Justice also ordered his immediate release from detention.

But the federal government has refused complying with the orders for some ‘security reasons.”

And explaining his frustration in a letter dated  November 12, 2018, the ex-NSA recalled several court judgments which ordered his release from detention since December 2015 that were not obeyed, and other decisions that admitted him to bail and which were also refused by the present administration..

In the letter, Dasuki said: “Prevailing circumstances have prompted me to write this letter to the court, the hope of every Nigerian citizen.

“Unfortunately, it seems to me that the current administration has so much interference with the judicial system, such that it has become practically impossible for the court to maintain her independence, the administration of justice. My plight is of common knowledge.

“After the federal government failed to comply with all the bail orders and judgments of the ECOWAS Court, I further approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of my fundamental human right.

“I am very much apprehensive about the President’s (Buhari) statement, in that my rights will continually be violated and that no order for my release will be honoured by the federal government of Nigeria or any of its agencies.

“In reaction to the judgment of the court enforcing my fundamental human right, an embarrassing statement was credited to Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the current Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on 13 July, 2018, after the bail conditions have been met, including the deposit of N100million with the Registrar of the Federal High Court, stated that irrespective of the judgment directing the said release, the federal government would not comply.

“At this juncture, it will seem that the Nigerian government is not inclined to yield or obey the orders of any Court of Law; whether domestic or international. Ironically, the federal government still wants to ride on judicial wings to prosecute me, when it does not comply with orders that proceed from the court, especially in relation to me.

“At this point, I strongly believe that there must be an end to this hypocrisy and lopsided/ partisan rule of law.

“Since the federal government has resolved not to comply with judicial orders directing my release, it is better for the court to also absolve me of the need to submit myself for further prosecution. Justice should be evenly dispensed, as opposed to same, being in favour of the federal government of Nigeria.”

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