Femi Falana, human rights lawyer,
is challenging the Nigerian navy over its claim that it does not know the
whereabouts of 15 citizens who have been detained for seven months without
trial.
Suleman Dahun, navy’s director of
information, on Monday had said that the detainees disappeared from custody.
“We don’t know where they are,”
PUNCH had quoted him to have said.
The detainees, including Dada
Labinjo, a navy captain, and Sherifat Ibe Lambert (also known as Mrs Bola
Labinjo), a lt. commander, have been in detention since September 2018 for an
undisclosed offence.
In a statement on Wednesday,
Falana asked why the navy would deny their whereabouts and yet apply to the
court to continue to detain them.
“My attention has been drawn to
the sadistic denial of the whereabouts of the 15 military and civilian
personnel who have been held incommunicado by the Nigerian Navy since September
2018,” Falana said.
“As their whereabouts are unknown
why did the navy apply to the chief magistrate’s court in Apapa, Lagos for an
order to detain them? Why did the navy not deny the whereabouts of the
detainees when the magistrate ordered
their immediate and unconditional release
from custody on January 7, 2019? Since the whereabouts of the detainees
are not known, why did the navy file counter-affidavits in opposition to the application for the release of Captain
Dada Labinjo and Lt. Commander Bola Labinjo from further detention?
“Why has the navy filed a motion
for stay of execution of the order of the federal high court for the immediate
release of Lt. Commander Bola Banjo? Why did the Navy apply for an
adjournment to react to the application
for the enforcement of the fundamental right of Mr. Benjamin Gold? For goodness
sake, at what stage did the detainees disappear from the custody of the Navy?”
The senior lawyer also shared copies
of the court documents ordering the release of the detainees.
Earlier, the lawyer had raised
the alarm over their detention, calling on Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of
the federation (AGF), to take action against the naval authorities over the
“violations of the fundamental rights of the detainees”.
When Dahun was reached out to over the issue, he only said: “I will get back to you”, but he never did
and subsequently refused to comment on the matter.
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