• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
  • E-Book
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
  • E-Book
Home General US Arms Ban: Falana Urges FG to Release Dasuki on Bail
  • General
  • National

US Arms Ban: Falana Urges FG to Release Dasuki on Bail

By
Femi Falana
-
November 14, 2016

ex-nsa_sambo_dasuki_in_federal_high_court_abujaUnder the defunct military junta in Nigeria  the Constitution was suspended while fundamental rights were put in abeyance. To justify the detention of the so called political extremists and other subversive elements the  Buhari/Idiagbon junta promulgated the State Security (Detention of Persons) Decree no 2 of 1984. My colleagues and I in the human rights community were regularly detained  under the  preventive detention decree .   But despite the draconian decree  the courts never hesitated to order the release of several persons whose detention was patently illegal.

Ironically, General Mohammadu Buhari was later detained  by the Babangida junta under Decree No 2 of 1984. During his visit to Edo State last week, President Buhari recalled  that he was incarcerated in Benin city  for 2 years out of his  3-year incarceration.   But upon the restoration of civil rule in May 1999 Decree 2 and other obnoxious  decrees and edicts  were repealed. In addition, section 35 of the Constitution has guaranteed the fundamental right to personal liberty. Thus, every person who is arrested and detained by the police or any security agency  shall be arraigned in court within 24 or 48 hours as the case may be. If for any reason the detainee is not arraigned in court  within the stipulated time the detaining authority shall grant bail or  obtain a remand order from a Magistrate court pursuant to section 293 of the ACJA 2015.

When  the residence of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was searched by the State Security Service last year he accused the Federal Government of the breach of his human rights to personal liberty.  Since the search was conducted based on a warrant issued by a Magistrate in the Federal Capital Territory I pointed out that the Federal Government  had acted within the ambit of the rule of law. Subsequently, he was charged with illegal possession of firearms at the Federal High Court and money laundering offences at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. Notwithstanding the gravity of the charges Col. Dasuki was admitted to bail by the three trial courts.

Read Also:

  • Alleged Certificate Forgery: Why Uche Nnaji Must Resign or Get Fired Immediately
  • Pantami Foundation Graduates 250 Gombe Youths in Tech, Entrepreneurship
  • Tinubu Orders NAHCON to Reduce 2026 Hajj Fares

Upon his fulfilling the bail conditions on December 29 last year the authorities of Kuje prisons released him. However, before stepping out of the precints of the prison he was immediately rearrested by the State Security Service. Convinced that the fresh arrest could not be justified under the Nigerian Constitution I advised the Federal Government to comply with the orders admitting the suspect to bail pending his trial. I equally cautioned against playing into the hands of any of the criminal suspects standing trial for alleged criminal diversion of public funds.  For reasons best known to the Federal Government the demand for Col. Dasuki’s release was ignored. Since then the suspect has taken advantage of his illegal incarceration to  frustrate his criminal trial by alleging denial of access to his defence counsel.

It was at that juncture that  Col. Dasuki was compelled to approach the Court of Justice of  the Economic Community of West African States, otherwise called “the Ecowas Court” to secure the enforcement of his human rights to personal liberty guaranteed by article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. In its defence the federal government characteristically challenged the  jurisdictional competence of the Ecowas Court to hear and determine the suit. The preliminary objection was dismissed. With respect to the substantive relief, the Ecowas Court held that the detention of Col. Dasuki without a court order could not be justified under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.  Consequently, the court ordered the  release of the applicant and payment of N15 million  damages to him as reparation for the infringement of his human rights.

In reporting the judgment of the Ecowas court  the media conveyed the impression that that the federal government has been ordered to release the plaintiff unconditionally from further detention. Contrary to such misleading impression  the Ecowas Court has not discharged and acquitted Col. Dasuki in respect of the criminal charges pending against him in the Nigerian courts. All that the court said  was that the suspect  be allowed to enjoy his human right to liberty within the context of the bail granted him by the trial courts. In particular,  the Federal Government was berated for treating the orders of its own courts with contempt.

Having loudly  proclaimed to operate under the rule of law Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the order of the Ecowas Court . Indeed, as a leading member state of the Ecowas the Nigerian Government must continue to demonstrate leadership by example. More so that it was federal government which  persuaded  the former military dictators in Niger Republic to  to release ex-President Mammoud Tandja from custody in line with the order of the Ecowas Court . Therefore, President   Buhari should direct the SSS to comply with the order of the Ecowas Court by releasing  Col. Dasuki (rtd) on bail without any further delay .

Having failed to halt the violations of the human rights  of the Nigerian people the United States government has banned the Buhari administration from purchasing war planes to prosecute the war on terror. A similar ban under the Jonathan administration prolonged the war on terror. While the ban may be questioned in view of the global fight against terrorism the federal government should release all  political detainees from custody and stop the police and other security agencies from  infringing on the  human rights of the Nigerian people .

Femi Falana
Human Rights Lawyer

PRNigeria encourages institutions to be transparent in their information management as it provides news items from authoritative sources for free use by the media

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd)
  • Decree no 2 of 1984
  • ECOWAS Court
  • Femi Falana
  • President Buhari
Previous articlePolice Boss in Bali for Interpol General Assembly
Next articleNiger State Engages Youth on Capacity Building
Femi Falana
Femi Falana
https://prnigeria.com
PRNigeria is the pioneer Press Release Distribution agency in Nigeria. A member of image Merchant Promotions limited, PRNigeria encourages individuals and organisations to be more transparent in their information management. with dedicated Editorial staffs, the PRNigeria ensures that information provided on its platforms are timely, factual and authoritative Read more at: //prnigeria.com/about/
Facebook Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Pantami Foundation Graduates 250 Gombe Youths in Tech, Entrepreneurship

Tinubu Orders NAHCON to Reduce 2026 Hajj Fares

Security Operatives Nab Influencers Over Defamatory Campaign Against Senator Shehu Buba

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani

Uba Sani Releases ₦2.3bn for Retirees and Families of Deceased Workers

Hajj Exercise Around Ka'abah

Group Urges CBN to Scrap 2% Service Charge on Hajj Fare to Reduce Pilgrimage Cost

NDLEA Logo

NDLEA Dismantles Cocaine Cartels Behind UK Shipments, Arrests Suspects, Destroys 25,000kg Skunk Nationwide

Kano Gov’t Investigates Alleged Diversion of N4bn Dala Inland Dry Port Funds

ACF

ACF Warns of Alleged Plot to Cripple Dangote Refinery, Urges FG Intervention

Troops Neutralise Terrorists, Repel Boko Haram Attack in Borno

GWA Award Winners 2025

PHOTOS: Nigeria Customs, IMPR Bag Back-to-Back Golden World Award at IPRA 70th Anniversary

Troops Nab Terrorists’ Logistics, Drug Suppliers in Borno

S/Arabia-Trained Graduates to Begin Forum on Sustainable Development

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Log in to leave a comment

Recent Posts

  • Alleged Certificate Forgery: Why Uche Nnaji Must Resign or Get Fired Immediately
  • Pantami Foundation Graduates 250 Gombe Youths in Tech, Entrepreneurship
  • Tinubu Orders NAHCON to Reduce 2026 Hajj Fares
  • Security Operatives Nab Influencers Over Defamatory Campaign Against Senator Shehu Buba
  • Army Dislodges Bandits in Taraba Forests Under Operation Lafiya Nakowa
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Alleged Certificate Forgery: Why Uche Nnaji Must Resign or Get Fired ImmediatelyPantami Foundation Graduates 250 Gombe Youths in Tech, EntrepreneurshipTinubu Orders NAHCON to Reduce 2026 Hajj FaresSecurity Operatives Nab Influencers Over Defamatory Campaign Against Senator Shehu BubaArmy Dislodges Bandits in Taraba Forests Under Operation Lafiya NakowaHow Irabor's Book Launch Became National Security Summit as Obasanjo, Jonathan, Kukah, Sultan Spoke on Boko HaramNigerian Army Denies Losing Weapons to Bandits in Kwara OperationUba Sani Releases ₦2.3bn for Retirees and Families of Deceased WorkersGroup Urges CBN to Scrap 2% Service Charge on Hajj Fare to Reduce Pilgrimage CostNDLEA Dismantles Cocaine Cartels Behind UK Shipments, Arrests Suspects, Destroys 25,000kg Skunk NationwideKano Gov't Investigates Alleged Diversion of N4bn Dala Inland Dry Port FundsACF Warns of Alleged Plot to Cripple Dangote Refinery, Urges FG InterventionTroops Neutralise Terrorists, Repel Boko Haram Attack in BornoPHOTOS: Nigeria Customs, IMPR Bag Back-to-Back Golden World Award at IPRA 70th AnniversaryTroops Nab Terrorists’ Logistics, Drug Suppliers in Borno
X whatsapp