Falana: Buhari’s Anti-rule of Law Stance Emboldens Security Agencies on Illegality

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, has again criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for emboldening his cabinet members and security agencies through his defence of their unconstitutional actions against the judiciary and the citizens.

Falana also noted that Buhari’s current civilian administration was even more intolerant to the rule of law than his military regime, saying he obeyed court orders by releasing detainees then, unlike what is happening now.

In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos, titled: “How Buhari

Military Regime Released Detainees Based on Court Orders,” the rights activist who went down memory lane on cases of abuse of power and suppression of citizens’ rights by past military rulers, added that “the embarrassing development is an irony because the dreaded Buhari military junta had complied with all orders of Nigerian courts for the release of political detainees and criminal suspects from custody.”

Citing the explanation given by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami to Buhari’s disobedience of court orders, especially in the cases of Col. Sambo Dasuki and Sheikh

Elzakzaky, Falana described such justification as shocking.

He said: “Apart from treating the orders of Nigerian courts with total contempt, the federal government has also ignored the orders of the Community Court of Justice with respect to the restoration of the civil liberties of Nigerian citizens.

“It is regrettable to note that since President Buhari openly defended such brazen contempt of court last year, the State Security Service and other security agencies have been emboldened in treating court orders for the release of political detainees and criminal suspects with disdain.

“Unknown to Nigerians, the recent violent invasion of the Federal High Court by armed SSS operatives was a crude protest against the ultimatum given by Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Mr. Omoyele Sowore. Before then the security agency had threatened to report Justice Taiwo Taiwo for granting bail to Sowore.

“Apparently embarrassed by the armed invasion of the Federal High Court by the operatives of the SSS, the Attorney-General, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), announced last week that he had taken over the prosecution of the case and that the federal government would probe the incident.

“But Mr. Malami has turned round to say that he could not compel the security agency to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court for the release of Mr. Sowore on bail.”