The Interview Editors
Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has again written a letter to Abubakar Malami, the attorney general of the federation to match his words with action by immediately complying with a court order granting bail to his clients, Sheikh Ibraheem Elzakzaky and his wife, Zeinat Elzakzaky.
Falana had written a similar letter to Malami last week, admonishing the government for misrepresenting the law and failing to comply with court orders and suggesting that Omoyele Sowore and Sambo Dasuki, who are both standing trial on criminal charges were released on compassionate grounds.
Falana in his recent letter dated January 2, 2019, said the recent decision of the federal government to comply with all court orders, had led to instructions from his clients to request the attorney general to ensure compliance with the valid and subsisting orders of the federal high court and Kaduna State high court concerning them.
He listed the numerous times the courts had granted Elzakzaky bail and all the justifications the government has given for ignoring the court orders.
And following the release of Omoyele Sowore and Sambo Dasuki, who the government also refused to release in spite of court orders, Falana said the government’s contradictory positions were no longer tenable.
He wrote, “In a desperate bid to stop the Shiites from further embarrassing the federal government by demanding compliance with the court orders for the release of their leader the federal government caused the Kaduna State government to charge our clients with incitement of members of the Shia movement to commit culpable homicide, blocking of roads and leading an unregistered organisation to wit: Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
“As you are no doubt aware, the over 300 Shiites alleged to have been procured by our clients to commit the said criminal offences have been discharged by the Magistrate Court and High Court of Kaduna State for want of evidence.”
Falana further wrote, “Notwithstanding the pending criminal case in the Kaduna State high court your office and the Presidency have not ceased to justify the refusal of the federal government to comply with the orders of the federal high court and the Kaduna State high court.”
In view of the foregoing, he said, “we urge you to use your good offices to review your position and ensure the immediate and unconditional compliance with the valid and subsisting orders of the federal high court and the Kaduna State High Court concerning our clients.
This request is in line with the mew policy of the Buhari administration to operate under the Rule of Law.”
