J. S. Okutepa, SAN
I have read the explanations of the President of NBA. It is good that Mr. President secured the release of Mr Pius Awoke and his cousin in collaboration with other members of NBA as acknowledged by my president.
Be that as it may, if there is a court order that found prima facie that Mr Awoke was a member of the prescribed IPOB, and that he should be arraigned in court within 30 days from June 2023, why did the DSS failed to obey that order.
When did the DSS become aware that Mr Awoke was a membership of the prescribed IPOB? Why did it take DSS a whole three years plus without filling terrorism charges against Mr Awoke. Did Nigerian constitution not prescribing the period of detentions of Nigerians citizens as between twenty four hours or maximum of two days or such longer period as may be allowed by court in which case it should not be more than 14 days under Administration of Criminal JusticeAct 2015.
There are the Federal High Courts in every corner and states in Nigeria. There is a Federal High Court in Minna. There are Federal High Courts in Abakalike and even Abuja. Why did it take this long time to arraign him in court?
As an association, we must ensure that NBA holds these agencies accountable and responsible. I do not think the orders of the Federal High inure in favour of this long detentions of Mr Awoke.
Given the pictures of Mr. Awoke circulating on social media after his release, which I saw, he must have undergone very high psychological trauma of indescribable agony while in detentions.
While not holding forth for Mr. Awoke, necessary probing questions need to be asked by our association. Under what circumstances did Mr Awoke fail to deny his membership of IPOB. Was it while in detentions, or there is a membership register in which his name appears.
Let it be noted that Nigerian citizens are many languishing in detentions across this country’s detentions centres not only in DSS but other security agencies, too. These citizens are awaiting trials. Some are in detentions because they stepped on the toes of the mighty and powerful and those well connected not necessarily for any known offences.
Some people got terrorism charges filed against them for political reasons. Some are in detentions simply on civil transactions that metamorphosed into criminal allegations wrongly framed by security agencies.
I think the release of Mr. Awoke his detention and subsequent release should wake up the monitoring spirit of NBA across the various branches. NBA president can not be everywhere. Everything should not be unitarised in the hands of NBA President, either the current or the ones coming after him. This is my take
