Apologise to Sowore, Dasuki, Falana tells AGF

By Adebisi Onanuga

 

Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has asked the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to apologise to convener of #Revolution Now Omoyele Sowore and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki over their detention in spite of court order granting them bail.

Falana argued that since the Attorney General has deemed it fit to review his position and advise the federal government, in line with the tenets of the rule of law, he ought to have apologised to Sowore and Dasuki.

He said that what is expected of the Attorney General is in accordance with section 32 (6) of the 1999 Constitution.

It is not an occasion for grandstanding or arrogant display of power.

In a letter addressed to the Justice Minister titled, “Re: Why FG released Dasuki, Sowore-Malami” Falana recalled an interview in which the Attorney General reportedly said that Sowore and Dasuki were released on compassionate grounds.

He argued that contrary to the position postulated the attorney general has no power to release any detained defendant from custody on compassionate grounds.

“As you are no doubt aware, only the President and state governors are entitled to exercise the prerogative of mercy or release any convicted person on compassionate grounds by virtue of section 175 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“In Solola v. State (2005) 11 NWLR (Part 937) 460 the Supreme Court held that a person convicted of murder and sentenced to death by a High Court and whose appeal is pending at an appellate court cannot be pardoned by the Head of state or Governor of a state pursuant to sections 175 and 212 of the 1999 Constitution until the appeal has been finally determined.

“It follows to reason that the power of prerogative of mercy cannot be invoked to justify the release of a person standing trial and who has been admitted to bail but detained illegally by the State Security Service for alleged security reasons,” he argued.

He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, as a Military Head of State,  released 13 out of the several persons detained under Decree No 2 of 1984 on the basis of court orders and on the advice of the then Attorney-General of the Federation, the late Chike Offodile (SAN).

He argued that Buhari, having complied with court orders to release detainees as a Head of a Military Government, would not have disagreed if the Attorney General had insisted that court orders be obeyed.

He advised that it is not too late for the Justice Minister to make compliance with court orders a cardinal policy of the Buhari administration.

Falana said that the federal government has itself to blame for the needless controversy that trailed the release of Sowore and Dasuki.

“In the case of Sowore the State Security Service refused to comply with the order made by Justice Taiwo Taiwo for his release on bail.

“Even after the order of Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu for the release of Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare had been reluctantly obeyed a gang of armed security operatives stormed the court to re-arrest the former.

“In the process, he was brutalised in the courtroom while Justice Ojukwu was forced to rise due to the disruption of the proceedings of her court.

“The footages of the desecration of the court which was widely circulated in the social media exposed the federal government to unprecedented ridicule.

“Thus, despite the denial of involvement by the SSS in the show of shame you had to take over the case. However, we were flabbergasted when you turned round to inform us that you had no power to direct the State Security Service to comply with the order of the federal high court for the release Sowore from custody.

“It is also on record that for about four years of detaining Col. Dasuki, the federal government did not take steps to set aside or vary or stay the execution of the five orders which had granted him bail.

“As if the contemptuous act of the SSS was not enough, you repeatedly maintained that the orders could not be obeyed on grounds of national security.

“In confirming your curious position the Presidency said last Friday that “The Attorney General of the Federation who is the chief law officer, as far as the government is concerned, has convinced everyone and the government inclusive that there is a basis for their continued detention because the individual right must not undermine the collective right.”

Falana said he would have ignored the official impunity but for the need to clarify the current state of the law on the status of persons who have been admitted to bail pending trial in a criminal court.