Human rights lawyer and former president of West Africa Bar Association (WABA), Mr. Femi Falana has said that he will drag the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and others involved in the alleged $2.1 billion arms deal, to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Falana said this during the maiden lecture and dinner organised by the Amnesty International (AI). While delivering a lecture on “Promotion and Protection of human rights in Nigeria, ” he emphasized that those involved should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.
He said “Last week some people were arrested. I think three of them principally (Dasuki, Raymond Dokpesi, and Attahiru Bafarawa). Again, contrary to media report, the suspects were not arrested for diverting the some of $2.1 billion as it has been reported by the press, but for diverting and misappropriating and conerring $6 billion. I am talking of $2.1 billion and N643 billion.
“Now in any part of the world, this is a serious crime that affects the generality of Nigerians, that affects our right to development, that led to the untimely death of over 5,000 soldiers, and 20,000 civilians that have been massacred by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists.
“This fund was earmarked for procuring military hardware to prosecute the war on terror, but a gang of people sat down and resolved and decided to corner the fund, and continue to deceive our people that adequate weapons have been procured for our soldiers and therefore they are indolent, and cowardly by not fighting to defeat the Boko Haram sect.
“Perhaps, unlike most Nigerians I feel more pain. I feel more challenged, because I have defended scores of military officers and soldiers on pro-bono basis because I was convinced that these funds were diverted and therefore, why are you charging these innocent people with cowardly behaviour which attracts the death penalty.
“Those who stole the money meant for procuring arms must not go unchallenged, nobody must invoke human rights, no lawyer must be permitted to invoke human rights to cover these crimes against humanity.
“They went beyond just stealing and by next week we are filing a petition before the international Criminal Court (ICC) to ask that these guys be tried for crime against humanity because we are only talking of those who are alive, what of thousands that have been killed recklessly because of this kind of irresponsibility on the part of a few people.
“Let me clarify this, the right to liberty is guaranteed by Section 35 of the Nigerian constitution, as well as article 6 of the African Charter that nobody shall have his right to liberty taken away or abridged or violated. However, this is not an absolute right if there is reasonable suspicion that you have committed a criminal offence your right to liberty can be taken by the state.
“Therefore, when you are told by the media that the Buhari regime is engaging in impunity by arresting people without taking them to court within 48 hours is no longer in our law. I made this point on Sunday and no one has challenged me.”