Socio-Economic Rights and
Accountability Project (SERAP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari not to be
selective in obeying orders of the court.
SERAP said this while reacting to
the announcement by the government of Buhari ordering the release of
#RevolutionNow protest convener, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and the immediate-past
National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, from custody.
The group said the government
cannot continue to pick and choose which court orders to obey.
“All court orders must be
immediately and fully obeyed. It should never be right for the government to
selectively obey court orders,” it said.
The Attorney-General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) today reportedly
directed the Department of State Services to release Col. Dasuki and Mr. Sowore
from custody.
In a statement by SERAP deputy
director olawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “This is a positive step by
the Nigerian government. We hope that this signals a change in direction in
Nigeria towards full respect for the rule of law, tolerance and greater
openness by the government that would allow citizens to effectively enjoy their
constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.
“SERAP has consistently called
for the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore, Olawale Bakare and other
prisoners of conscience.
“The President Buhari government
should now immediately withdraw all charges against Mr Sowore and Olaware
Bakare and all others detained simply for exercising their right to freedom of
expression. They should never have been charged in the first place.
“The government cannot continue
to pick and choose which court orders to obey. All court orders must be
immediately and fully obeyed. It should never be right for the government to
selectively obey court orders.
“The government should have
immediately obeyed court orders releasing Sowore, Dazuki and others on bail.
“The President Buhari government
must cease the restrictions on the civic space, respect human rights, and
immediately obey all outstanding court orders including at least four judgments
obtained by SERAP.
“The first is the judgment by
Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari ordering the government to tell Nigerians about
the stolen asset it allegedly recovered, with details of the amounts involved.
“The second judgment, by Justice
Mohammed Idris, ordered the government to publish details on the spending of
stolen funds recovered by successive governments since the return of democracy
in 1999, while the third judgment, by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, ordered
the immediate release of details of payments of billions of naira to all
defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies since
1999.
“The fourth judgment, by Justice
Mohammed Idris (as he then was), ordered President Buhari to prosecute senior
lawmakers suspected of padding and stealing N481 billion from the 2016 budget.
“The court also ordered President
Buhari to “direct the publication of the report of investigations by security
and anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.”
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