Court orders: Presidency explains why Dasuki, El-Zakzaky, others are still detained
- The presidency says Sambo Dasuki, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and Omoyele Sowore, are still in detention because the court has not treated all charges against them
- The disclosure was made by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on public affairs, Ajuri Ngelale
- Ngelale says the court granted bail on some of the charges preferred against the suspects, but others are yet to be treated
- The presidential aide condemns the Revolution Now protest organised by Sowore, saying freedom of expression has its limit
The presidency has explained why the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and Omoyele Sowore, are still in detention despite being granted bail.
Ajuri Ngelale, the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on public affairs, told Legit.ng's Political Arena on Thursday, October 3, the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of those in custody.
The presidential aide said the court granted bail on some of the charges preferred against the suspects, but they had to remain in detention because other charges against them were yet to be treated by the court.
Source: UGC
He said what the media does is to give preference to the charges that have been treated by the court and ignores other charges that are yet to be treated.
Ngelale said: "These are some of the specific issues that I think the media don't take enough time to wade into before they make judgement on whether or not this administration is adherent to the rule of law or not."
Speaking on the claim in some quarters that President Buhari has no regards for the rule of law, the presidential aide said none of those accusing and abusing the president have been detained.
He said: "When somebody goes to the DSS, we should ask ourselves, what is it that this individual has done that these other people who are openly abusing the president on national TV - they are doing it - and nothing is happening to them. So what is different here? We should ask that question.
Speaking on the Revolution Now protest that was organised by the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 general elections, Ngelale said freedom of expression has its limit.
He said: "Now, when we talk about the situation that's unfolding with a certain individual, who was on national television, calling for a revolution., not just a revolution in the way that we think or the way that we conduct ourselves.
"We are talking of explicitly stating that he was going to throw out the government in power through a means that is not democratic, through a means that has nothing to do with election, and he was going to replace that government through a mechanism of his choosing.
"Now, if you go into CNN and say you are going to do that to Donald Trump's administration in the United States, you'll not see that individual for fifty years, if he's 18 years old or fifty five years, they will say you've broken the law, it's a treasonable felony, pay the price. That's what they do in the saner clime.
"In the US and the UK and all these places, they understand that freedom of expression has a limit. And the limit on freedom of expression is when it begins to infringe on the right of life that others have.
"So, if you're calling for a revolution, that cannot be bloodless, right? You're risking the lives of innocent people, and therefore that should be the limit of freedom of expression in the country. We need to understand that."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Federal High Court had ordered that publisher of Sahara reporters, Omoyele Sowore, be detained in custody pending hearing for bail application on Friday, October 4.
The court gave the order after the DSS re-arraigned Sowore before another Federal High Court justice.
NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better
Sowore finally granted bail with stringent conditions | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
