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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Malami Support Organisation( (MSO) has decried the continuous detention of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Chika Malami (SAN) in detention and insisted that his ordeal count alot on the integrity of Nigeria's justice system.
Director of Strategy and Communication of MSO, Mallam Saidu Atiku Abubakar stated this while addressing members of the organization at their office in Birnin Kebbi.
He noted that, the MSO views the arrest and prolonged detention of Abubakar Malami SAN disturbing development that raises fundamental concerns about due process, constitution safeguards, and respect for the rule of law.
According to him, “Nigeria is a constitutional democracy governed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), not by executive impulse, administrative convenience, or political vendetta.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on the portion of individual rights Section 35(1) guarantees the right to personal liberty, permitting deprivation of liberty only in clearly defined circumstances and strictly in accordance with a procedure permitted by Law.
“Section 36(1) guarantees the right to fair hearing, requiring that any allegation of wrongdoing be determined by a court or tribunal established by law, and not through executive pressure or media trial.
“Section 36(5) entrenches the presumption of innocence, providing that every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“Any deviation from these provisions whether justified under the guise of anti – corruption national interest, or political expediency constitutes not accountability, but a direct assault on constitutional order.
“From all observable indicators, the arrest and detention of Abubakar Malami, SAN, beautiful the hallmarks of selective enforcement rather than impartial justice.
“When state institution are deployed aggressively against perceived political opponents, while individuals aligned with the ruling establishment appear shielded from equivalent scrutiny, the integrity of law enforcement and anti-corruption mechanisms is severely compromised”.
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Abubakar noted that ,the Constitution, under Section 17(2) (a), mandates that governance shall be founded on social justice and equality before the law. Selective justice violates this principle and replaces rule of law with the rule of power.
He said: “the MSO is gravely concerned about the growing normalisation of weaponised accountability under the APC-led federal government. A system where justice is applied unevenly does not strengthen democracy, it corrodes it from within. A war on corruption that exempts the powerful is not reform, it is institutional deception. We want to at this point make it incandescently clear that this issue transcends the personality of Abubakar Malami, SAN.
“The real question confronting Nigeria is whether the country will continue to be governed by law or gradually slide into governance by fear, intimidation, and coercion. History teaches that when constitutional violations go unchallenged, silence becomes complicity. Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution clearly states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government not the persecution of political dissent or the intimidation of perceived rivals.
” On this note, the Malami Support Organization reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and democratic accountability. We remain resolute in our belief that political intimidation cannot arrest destiny, nor can coercive power suppress the legitimate aspirations of the people indefinitely.
” Government should know, that when institutions are manipulated, processes subverted, power abused, and rights of citizens denied then the government itself collapses. Therefore the MSO calls for; strict adherence to due process and constitutional procedures by all law enforcement and security agencies, in line with Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.
“We are also heightened vigilance by civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, human rights groups, and pro-democracy advocates in defending constitutional norms. We are calling the attention and scrutiny from international human rights bodies and diplomatic missions regarding the dangerous pattern of selective justice and political intimidation taking root in Nigeria”.
The organization urged all their members to remain calm, lawful, resolute and committed to defending the Constitution through principled, peaceful, and democratic engagement.
