**tells Court, to Boycott Trial
By Kenneth Atavti
Former National Security Adviser Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (RTD) yesterday berated the Federal Government over his continued detention and disobedience to various court orders that admitted him to bails and outright release from unlawful detention since 2015.
Dasuki in a strongly worded letter he personally signed and addressed to the Registrar of the Federal High Court Abuja vowed to boycott any proceeding for his trial since the federal government has proved beyond reasonable doubt that it would not obey any order of the court even if it is in his favour.
Dasuki had previously perfected bails granted him by five different judges of high courts including Justices Ademola Adeniyi, Justice Ahmed Mohammed and Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja Federal High Court and Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High Courts but which were not obeyed by the government.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice also ordered his immediate release from detention but not honoured by government.
In the letter dated November 12, 2018, the Ex-NSA recalled several court judgments which ordered his release from detention since December 2015 which were not obeyed and other decisions that admitted him to bail and which were also refused by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the letter, Dasuki said: “Prevailing circumstances have prompted me to write this letter to the court, the hope of every Nigerian citizen.
“Unfortunately, it seems to me that the current administration has so much interference with the judicial system, such that it has become practically impossible for the Court to maintain her independence, the administration of justice. My plight is of common Knowledge.”
Recalling how Buhari’s government refused to obey several court orders, Dasuki said he had to approach another court for the enforcement of his fundamental human right.
Dasuki said: “After the Federal Government failed to comply with all the bail orders and judgment of the ECOWAS court, I further approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of my fundamental human right.
“In a judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on July 2, 2018, the court found that my right had been breached and accordingly ordered my release from detention. The conditions whereof the court admitted me to bail have been met, but I have still not been released from custody.
“I am very much apprehensive about the President’s (Buhari) statement, in that my rights will continually be violated and that no order for my release will be honored by the Federal Government of Nigeria or any of its agencies.
“In reaction to the judgment of the court enforcing my fundamental human right, an embarrassing statement was credited to Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN, the current Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on 13 July 2018 after the bail conditions have been met, including the deposit of N100m with the Registrar of the Federal High Court, stated that irrespective of the judgment directing the said release, the Federal Government would not comply.
“At this juncture, it will seem that the Nigerian Government is not inclined to yield or obey the orders of any Court of Law; whether domestic or international.
“Ironically, the Federal Government still wants to ride on judicial wings to prosecute me, when it does not comply with orders that proceed from the Court, especially in relation to me
“At this point, I strongly believe that there must be an end to this hypocrisy and the lopsided/ partisan rule of law.
“Since the Federal Government has resolved not to comply with judicial orders directing my release, it is better for the Court to also absolve me of the need to submit myself for further prosecution.
“Justice should be evenly dispensed, as opposed to same, being in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
However, at the resumed trial yesterday before Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohammed, counsel to Federal Government Chief Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN) told the court that Dasuki had deliberately refused to come to court because of his anger on certain steps taking by the government against him.
In his own reaction, Justice Muhammad directed the prosecution to always depose to affidavit evidence whenever the former NSA declines to come to court.
The Judge who said he had not received Dasuki’s letter however adjourned further trial till November 19, 2019.
