A former Aide de Camp (ADC) to President Muhammadu Buhari when he was governor of old Gongola state and military head of state, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo has lambasted the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar and Northern elites over the trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd).
Last Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja granted bail to Dasuki after over two and half years in the detention of the Department of the State Services (DSS).
Dasuki, who had been granted bail by four different High Courts in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Court of Justice, had filed a fundamental human rights suit against the Federal Government to obey all court orders for his release.
In an interview with The Sun, Jokolo lamented the Prince of the Sokoto caliphate’s prolonged incarceration and indifference of elites of the region on the government’s disobedience to court orders in the cases.
“We are complacent people (in the North) and sometimes hypocritical…Northerners are hypocritical. Look at the Sultan, what is he doing about it (Dasuki’s incarceration)? Is it because of personal grievances between families? Has he ever led the council of Emirs or religious groups to come and plead for Sambo?
“Instead, he was saying Buhari should go and execute looters. What kind of nonsense is that? What I am saying is that we are just not sincere at all. Southerners are at the vanguard of fighting for democracy more than the North. And that is why I don’t like being selective. If you are going to do something, do it. You did it for me.”
On the possibility of the North working underground to ensure Dasuki is released on bail with the orders of the courts, Alhaji Jokolo pointed out that they were not willing.
He said: “If they can do that why is the Sultan making noise saying that they should do this to them? Is he not the person who is supposed to help this man out? Which of these traditional rulers have you heard speaking about Dasuki’s case. What does it even take these so-called religious leaders to go and meet the president or whoever it is and tell him to release Sambo?
“If he (Sambo Dasuki) has committed an offence that requires him facing the firing squad, shoot him. Nobody will say you should not carry out any punishment pronounced by the law court. No. But the court has said release him. They did not say don’t go to court with him. The court says release him on bail on given times.
“So, if you wont respect court order why did you go to court? Why did you appoint judges? Why did you sit down and discuss with them? Why do you speak from both sides of your mouth? On the one hand you say one thing on the next time you do different altogether. Do you think people are not intelligent?”
When asked if Sambo Dasuki would be released with the latest bail granted him after previous orders were not honoured by the Buhari government, Jokolo said: “Nobody can give anybody guarantee but we pray to God that they will be sensible to do that. Buhari is now a politician.
“But I do not think honestly that it is right to be refusing Sambo to go home after the Court has granted him bail. If we do not want Sambo around, then let’s shoot him; that’s all. We can’t continue with this. He has a family, friends and relations for God’s sake. Even his enemies are now crying out for justice.
“So, I don’t think I will accept anybody telling me now for the sixth time that he would not be allowed to go home. No. That is irresponsible and unacceptable either. Let me ask you a question. Is it because Sambo is from the North and a Muslim?”
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