IgbereTV reports that Paul Usoro (SAN), the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Friday said the Department of State Security, DSS, owes Nigeria apology for what he described as “desecration” of judiciary by officials of the security agency.
Usoro made this statement during an interview with journalists.
Sowore and Bakare, who are facing charges of treasonable felony brought against them by the federal government, had been in detention for 124 days before they were released on Thursday.
It was reported that less than 24 hours after they regained freedom DSS personnel invaded the court room to re-arrest the two defendants after the judge had adjourned the matter to February 11 next year.
Usoro said: “Going into a court room to effect an arrest is horrible. I believe that the Nigerian nation deserves an apology from the DSS for what they have done today (Friday) in court.”
He also described the incident, which he said he has never heard of elsewhere, as “horrible” and “actually an embarrassment to us as a nation.”
Further, bemoaning the situation with some sort of self-pity on what he perceived befalls Nigerian nationals collectively, the NBA president sarcastically lamented: “… and we count ourselves as civilized nation, we consider ourselves to be in a country that is governed by laws; we consider ourselves to be guided by the rule of law.”
Describing the invasion of the court room by the DSS officials as “a complete reversal of what the rule of law stands for”, Usoro said it makes a statement that “might is strength” and that once one is licensed with might and force “anything absolutely” could be done in Nigeria.
Speaking further on consequences of disregard for the rule of law by a constituted authority, Usoro added: “It erodes moral authority to enforce orders – not just court orders; I am talking about enforcing orders generally.
