Popular lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has pleaded with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to comply with court orders to release former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) on bail.
Ozekhome made this known in an open letter to the president released on Thursday.
He said that the continued detention of Dasuki, despite six courts orders ordering his release on bail, was an affront to the rule of law.
In the letter titled “President Muhammadu Buhari, Please, Release Col. Sambo Dasuki in God’s Name”, Ozekhome described as unacceptable the detention, since December 2015, of Dasuki despite having not been found guilty of any offence by any court in the land.
Alluding to many court orders on Dasuki’s bail, the senior lawyer described as “dangerous” the Federal Government’s decision to be picky about what court judgements to obey.
He said, “We are having the dangerous situation where this government picks and chooses which orders to obey or disobey, an anarchical situation.
“The same government has so far refused to obey several orders for the release of the Shittes leader, El-Zakzaki. This is clearly against constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.”
Ozekhome said that by continuing to hold Dasuki, the Federal Government was in breach of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution which presumed an accused person to be innocent until proven guilty.
The letter read in part, “Mr President sir, in the name of almighty Allah, the Supreme God we all serve, let Dasuki go home on bail. Give him a breather. He has a family, friends and dependants to care for. He has not yet been convicted by any court of law.
“He is still presumed innocent under section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“Give him a lifeline. Help us build strong institutions, not strong men. I appeal to you sir, on my bended kneels. Let the milk of human kindness flow in you. Seek ye not vengeance. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but give place unto wrath; for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:19).
“The Rule of law doctrine theorises, amongst others, that: all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law, the principle of government of law.
“The rule of law means that no person or government is above the law; that there is restriction of arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws. It means that no person however highly placed, is above the law, whether law makers, law enforcement officials, judges or persons in government”.