Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, warning that bail conditions should not be turned into a tool for pre-conviction punishment.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed deep concern over the Federal High Court’s refusal to review and relax the stringent bail conditions imposed on El-Rufai.
Atiku stressed that while courts have the discretion to set bail terms, such conditions must be reasonable and not impossible to meet, as excessive requirements effectively defeat the purpose of bail.
“The law is settled that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty. Bail exists to preserve that constitutional protection. It was never designed to become a sophisticated instrument for punishment before conviction,” Atiku said.
He specifically questioned bail conditions requiring a surety who is a serving Grade Level 17 federal civil servant with verifiable property in highbrow areas like Maitama or Asokoro, describing them as overly restrictive.
Atiku warned that the implications go beyond El-Rufai’s case, arguing that such precedents threaten the liberty of any citizen and undermine the rule of law in Nigeria’s democracy.
“Today it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow it could be any citizen whose liberty depends not on the law but on whether he can satisfy conditions that few Nigerians can ever meet,” he added.
El-Rufai is facing multiple trials related to alleged corruption and national security issues.
The development has continued to spark debates about the administration of justice under the current government.
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