Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has asked Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo to sanction public officers
who said that Sambo Dasuki, former national security
adviser (NSA), and Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, Shia leader,
would not be released.

Falana made this request in a letter to the acting
president.

At a media chat with state house correspondents in
May, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said
Dasuki was still being detained – despite a court order
for his release – because of other charges against him.
He also said El-Zakzaky, whom a court ordered his
unconditional release, was still in custody for his own
safety.

In an interview on The Osasu Show, Lai Mohammed,
minister of information, said the government
disregarded the court orders in the interest of national
security.

In the letter, Falana asked the acting president to
direct the State Security Service (SSS) to release the
detainees.

“Since we have a responsibility ‘to resist all who might
seek to sow confusion and hatred for their own selfish
interests’ we urge Your Excellency to
sanction the overzealous public officers who have
publicly denigrated the rule of law by saying that the
valid and subsisting orders of competent courts for the
release of Sheik El-Zakzaky and his wife would not be
obeyed by the federal government,” he demanded.

“Notwithstanding the commitment of the federal
government to operate under the rule of law the same
individuals have continued to give the dangerous
impression that the federal government would
not comply with the orders of the federal high court,
the high court of the federal capital territory and the
community court of justice to the effect that Col
Sambo Dasuki (retd) be admitted to bail.

“In view of the resolve of the Muhammadu Buhari
administration to end impunity in the country we urge
Your Excellency to use your good offices to direct the
State Security Service to release Sheik Elzakzaky and
his wife from further incarceration in compliance with
the orders of the federal high court. At the same time
Col Dasuki (retd) should be admitted to bail as ordered
by the municipal and regional courts.”

Falana also asked Osinbajo to direct the “Nigerian
army to investigate and prosecute the military
personnel responsible for the brutal and callous
massacre of the 347 members of the Shia community
at Zaria in December 2015”.

TheCable