Femi Falana SAN, a human rights
lawyer, has challenged the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo to stop what he
termed the flagrant disobedience to court orders which has characterised the
current administration.
He made the call while expressing
disappointment at the refusal of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF
Abubakar Malami to obey court orders and release former National Security
Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh
Ibraheem El-Zakzakky, among others.
In a letter entitled, ‘Request to
end disobedience of court orders by all authorities and persons’, Falana said,
“It is common knowledge that the AGF, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said that
Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.); Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky; and his wife, Hajia Zenab
Elzakzaky, would not be released from custody in defiance of the valid and
subsisting orders of municipal and regional courts.
“While the attention of the print
and electronic media has been focused on the three privileged citizens, it is
hardly realised that there are many other common people who are languishing in
custody due to official disobedience of the orders of courts which have set
them free.
“And since judgment creditors are
prohibited from levying execution on the funds belonging to the government
without the fiat of the AGF, the Federal Government and the various state
governments usually refuse to authorise the payment of damages running to several
billions of naira awarded by courts in favour of many citizens and
institutions.
“But notwithstanding the
illegality of my detention and the fact that it was Gen. Buhari that had
promulgated the decree, I was able to convince my colleagues in the human
rights community to demand his release and that of his deputy, the late General
Tunde Idiagbon from detention.
“It is on record that based on
our intervention, the Ibrahim Babangida junta released the duo after three
years of detention without trial.
“We urge Your Excellency to take
urgent and decisive measures to put an end to the disobedience to court orders
by many public officers and institutions. Since section 287 of the constitution
has imposed a binding obligation on all authorities and persons in Nigeria to
comply with the decisions of competent courts, public officers who subvert the
rule of law ought to be sanctioned.
“Furthermore, in view of the fact
that President Buhari is the current chairman of ECOWAS, the Federal Government
should show leadership by example by complying with all the judgments of the
regional courts without any further delay.”
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