Dasuki to Boycott Trial over FG’s Disobedience to Court Orders

Dasuki

Dasuki to Boycott Trial over FG’s Disobedience to Court
Orders
… Calls for an end to hypocrisy and partisan rule of
law

The 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 and 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 citizens. 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

“At this juncture, 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 resume 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 taking 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
however adjourned further trial till November 19, 2019.

By PRNigeria