SERAP welcomes release of Sowore, Dasuki, urges Buhari to obey all court orders
*President Muhammadu Buhari
The AGF had, yesterday, reportedly directed the DSS to
release Dasuki and Sowore from custody.
A statement by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said: “This is a positive
step by the Nigerian government. We hope that this signals a change in
direction in Nigeria towards full respect for the rule of law, tolerance and
greater openness by the government that would allow citizens to effectively
enjoy their constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.
“SERAP has consistently called for the immediate and
unconditional release of Sowore, Olawale Bakare and other prisoners of
conscience. The President Buhari government should now immediately withdraw all
charges against Sowore and Bakare and all others detained simply for exercising
their right to freedom of expression. They should never have been charged in
the first place.
“We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of
journalist Agba Jalingo and all those still detained on bogus charges, having
spoken out in favour of greater democracy, freedom of expression, association
and peaceful assembly.
“The government cannot continue to pick and choose which
court orders to obey. All court orders must be immediately and fully obeyed. It
should never be right for the government to selectively obey court orders. The
government should have immediately obeyed court orders releasing Sowore, Dazuki
and others on bail.
“The President Buhari government must cease the restrictions
on the civic space, respect human rights, and immediately obey all outstanding
court orders including at least four judgments obtained by SERAP. The first is
the judgment by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari ordering the government to tell
Nigerians about the stolen asset it allegedly recovered, with details of the
amounts involved.
“The second judgment, by Justice Mohammed Idris, ordered the
government to publish details on the spending of stolen funds recovered by
successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999, while the third
judgment, by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, ordered the immediate release of
details of payments of billions of naira to all defaulting and allegedly
corrupt electricity contractors and companies since 1999.
“The fourth judgment, by Justice Mohammed Idris
(as he then was), ordered President Buhari to prosecute senior lawmakers
suspected of padding and stealing N481 billion from the 2016 budget. The court
also ordered President Buhari to “direct the publication of the report of
investigations by security and anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding
of the 2016 budget.”
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