Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla said Friday in Abuja that the Federal Government was not detaining Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) indefinitely.
He dismissed as media propaganda suggestions that the Federal Government has refused to release Dasuki on bail.
“I can assure you that nobody is detaining Dasuki indefinitely,Obono-Obla said.
“There has been a lot of manipulation, media propaganda giving the impression that the Federal Government has refused to release him on bail.
“It is not true; what happened was that he has several charges against him.
“The first charge was unlawful possession of firearms which he was arrested and arraigned in the Federal High Court.
“He was granted bail and he met the bail conditions, but before he was released, the SSS arrested him for an offence that is unrelated to that one of unlawful possession.”
Speaking on the alleged detention of suspects without trial, Obono-Obla said detaining suspects for more than 48 hours without trial amounted to a breach of the provisions of the Constitution.
“In civilised countries, people go to lawyers when they are arrested.Immediately they would tell you they want to talk to their lawyers.
“Basically that is the law and that is the constitutional provision which is superior to any other law.”
The Presidential aide said counsel to defendants are fond of resorting to frivolous motions to delay trials because judges are sometimes not firm.
He added:“If you look at the Administration of Criminal Justice Act there is supposed to be collaborations between the Courts, the Law Enforcement Agencies and persons and authorities.
“If you look at Section 1 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 to ensure that there is compliance of that law.
“And what is the essence of that law, the essence of that law is to protect society from crime, to protect the rights and interests of defendants, suspects and society.
“The lawyers take advantage of the fact that they are senior members of the bar and the judges are not firm on them, so they come out with all manner of excuses to get adjournment to prolong the matter.
“So if the lawyers are alive to their responsibilities as ministers in the temple of justice then they cannot do that because the law is very clear even if it would adverse to your client’s interest.”
Obono-Obla stated that the President is depending on the National Prosecution Coordinating Committee to improve the standard of prosecuting public officers that have looted the country’s treasury.
