I don’t support disobeying court order, even if for national security -Former minister, Tony Momoh

Tony Momoh, a former minister of information, says he does not support disobedience to court orders.

Momoh said this in an interview with the PUNCH.

The former minister was asked why the federal government did not release Omoyele Sowore after a court granted him bail.

On December 6, the SaharaReporters publisher was rearrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) a few hours after he was released.

Momoh said there may be reasons for his rearrest, but that he does not support disobeying court orders even if it is for the sake of national security.

“I’m a lawyer; I don’t support anybody disobeying court orders, whoever they may be. They may have reasons for doing so and many of them will say it is because of national security but I don’t support anyone disobeying court orders,” he said.

“Anything outside due process, I do not support. But we are living in a country where there is preoccupation with ensuring security and those who are charged with ensuring security will do anything to ensure what they think will secure the country, even if it is outside due process.

“But that is their argument, not mine. As far as I’m concerned, due process must be followed.

“Having said it must be followed, those who do not obey court orders may have reasons for doing so but I will never support the disobedience of court orders.”

The former chairman of the now defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) added that the relationship between President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo “is the most cordial between president and vice-president since we returned to democracy in 1999”.