Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has swung into action against the rearrest of his clients, Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare by the Department of State Security Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Herald gathered Falana asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take disciplinary actions against lawyers in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet over what he described as desecration of the court with his clients’ rearrest at the court, causing a disruption of court proceedings.
He disclosed that the SANs in the President Buhari’s cabinet are Vice President Yemi Osinbajon (SAN), Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of State for Labour, Mr Festus Keyamo; and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.
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According to him, “Even though President Muhammadu Buhari has a duty to caution the Department of State Services, the blame of the desecration of the court today (Friday) rests squarely on lawyers in government, who are under a duty to ensure that the rule of law is observed.
“Even though President Muhammadu Buhari has a duty to caution the Department of State Services, the blame of the desecration of the court today (Friday) rests squarely on lawyers in government, who are under a duty to ensure that the rule of law is observed. They have all taken the oath to respect the Constitution and other laws of the country.
“That Constitution guarantees the independence and impartiality of the courts. They therefore cannot sit in a cabinet under a regime that terrorises the courts and subverts the rule of law. It is a matter the Nigerian Bar Association should take up against the lawyers in the cabinet by instituting disciplinary proceedings against them.”
Earlier, The Herald reported that Falana said his legal team had started taking steps within the law to secure the release of Sowore, and Bakare again since the DSS was claiming that both men were arrested on fresh charges.
The human rights lawyer, however, condemned the manner his clients were rearrest, noting that the service detained the duo under the pretext of inviting them for questioning at their office