Dasuki blows hot over continued detention by Buhari govt, begins protest

A former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has
berated the Federal Government over his continued detention and
disobedience to various court orders that admitted him on bails.

Dasuki in a strongly worded letter he personally signed and addressed
to the Registrar of the Federal High Court Abuja vowed to boycott any
proceeding for his trial since the federal government has proved
beyond reasonable doubt that it would not obey any order of the court
even if it is in his favour.

Dasuki had previously perfected bails granted him by five different
judges of high courts including Justices Ademola Adeniyi, Justice
Ahmed Mohammed and Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja Federal High
Court, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen of the FCT
High Courts. The ECOWAS Court of Justice also ordered his immediate
release from detention.

In the letter dated November 12, 2018, the Ex-NSA recalled several
court judgements which ordered his release from detention since
December 2015 which were not obeyed and other decisions that admitted
him to bail and which were also refused by the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the letter, Dasuki said: "Prevailing circumstances have prompted me
to write this letter to the court, the hope of every Nigerian citizen.
Unfortunately, it seems to me that the current administration has so
much interference with the judicial system, such that it has become
practically impossible for the Court to maintain her independence, the
administration of justice. My plight is of common Knowledge."

Recalling how Buhari's government refused to obey several court
orders, Dasuki said he had to approach another court for the
enforcement of his fundamental human right.

Dasuki said: "After the Federal Government failed to comply with all
the bail orders and judgement of the ECOWAS court, I further
approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of my
fundamental human right. In a judgment delivered by Hon. Justice
Ijeoma Ojukwu on July 2, 2018, the court found that my right had been
breached and accordingly ordered my release from detention. The
conditions whereof the court admitted me to bail have been met, but I
have still not been released from custody.

"I am very much apprehensive about the President's (Buhari) statement,
in that my rights will continually be violated and that no order for
my release will be honoured by the Federal Government of Nigeria or
any of its agencies.

"In reaction to my the judgement of the court enforcing my fundamental
human right, an embarrassing statement was credited to Mr. Abubakar
Malami SAN, the current Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice on 13 July 2018 after the bail conditions have
been met, including the deposit of N1,000,000 with the Registrar of
the Federal High Court, stated that irrespective of the judgment
directing the said release, the Federal Government would not comply

"It will seem that the Nigerian Government is not inclined to yield or
obey the orders of any Court of Law; whether domestic or
international. Ironically, the Federal Government still wants to ride
on judicial wings to prosecute me, when it does not comply with Orders
that proceed from the Court, especially in relation to me

"At this point, I strongly believe that there must be an end to this
hypocrisy and lopsided/ partisan rule of law.

" Since the Federal Government has resolved not to comply with
judicial Orders directing my release, it is better for the Court to
also absolve me of the need to submit myself for further prosecution.
Justice should be evenly dispensed, as opposed to same, being in
favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria."

However, at the resumed trial today before Justice Ahmed Rahmat
Mohammed, the counsel to Federal Government, Chief Dipo Opeseyi told
the court that Dasuki had deliberately refused to come to court
because of his anger on certain steps taken by the government against
him.

In his own reaction, Justice Muhammad directed the prosecution to
always depose to an affidavit of evidence whenever the former NSA
declined to come to court.

The Judge who said he had not received Dasuki's letter formally
adjourned further trial till November 19, 2019.