On Monday the 7th of November 2016 Justice Bilkisu Mohammed of Kaduna<\/p>\n
State High Court 14 of Ibrahim Taiwo Road Kaduna granted me bail. That
\nterminated my 13 days ordeal in a 1915 colonial master’s detention
\nfacility- called Kaduna Prison along Independence Way Kaduna. Her Lordship
\nhad on 26th October 2016 denied my legal counsel’s verbal bail
\napplication. Justice Mohammed \u00a0premised her denial of bail on some
\nobservations made by the prosecuting counsel.<\/p>\n
Charges slammed on me by KDSG, this time around, are not new. KDSG \u00a0merely
\nrefreshed allegations dismissed in a Magistrate Court in July of 2016. The
\n1960s Penal Code Sections 417 and 418 their prosecutors pillared their
\nJanuary 2016 case on were also cited in their 26th October 2016
\nsuit.Police FIR and officer who investigated the matter are still the
\nsame. The only differences between the two cases are dates and years the
\noffense was alleged to have been committed. Their first case said
\n“sometimes in January of 2016″ while the present case cited 28th December
\n2015.<\/p>\n
What were the grounds The Chief Magistrate Grade 1 (Ibrahim Taiwo Road
\nKaduna) based his decision on? One, that sections cited by the prosecuting
\nteam no longer exist in Kaduna State because in 1999 KDSG created separate
\nlaws for the state and in those laws, sections cited don’t exist. Two,
\nthat because the laws don’t exist, there is no pillar to stand \u00a0their case
\non.<\/p>\n
Nigeria legal tradition and that of many democratic climes holds that; if
\na party is not pleased with a decision of any court( with exception of the
\nhighest court of the land) such a party can appeal such decision(S) in a
\nhigher court of competent jurisdiction. Instead of filing an appeal
\nagainst the July ruling of the Chief Magistrate , KDSG tabled same
\nallegations set aside afresh in a higher court. In legal parlances, this
\nis labeled abuse of judicial process. This is a simple cosmetic legal
\nprocedure KDSG knows. The reason for their legal misadventure is what we
\nare still searching- and hope to find pretty soon.<\/p>\n
I’m sure my legal team will effortlessly establish a case of ” abuse of
\njudicial process” by KDSG because facts like proceedings and ruling of the
\nMagistrate Court are handy. They have sundry \u00a0routes to prosecute my
\ndefense against KDSG.<\/p>\n
Our democracy has been for eighteen years, now.Me thinks we have grown
\nbeyond this pedestrian antic of “leaders”( now aspiring rulers) using
\ntheir executive powers to gagging \u00a0dissenting voices and advocates of some
\nunpalatable philosophies. Nobody is saying leaders should not head to the
\ncourt if they have alibi of illegality or unruly behavior from the led.
\nWhat we are saying is, due process be adhered to, in all instances and
\nalways. Because processes are crucial on matters bordering administration
\nof justice. \u00a0I’m afraid, people we hired to lead us \u00a0have time and again
\ndemonstrated that they are incapable of taming their concomitant
\ndictatorial libido.<\/p>\n
Take it or leave it, there is a growing concern that illegal kicking of
\nassess of dissent elements is a diversionary ploy. Mandate holders \u00a0are
\nusing that to occupy people’s minds with extremely mundane issues, instead
\nof talking of their great letdowns and gross unwillingness to be faithful
\nto the social contract entered with the people. As to how long this
\nunfortunate situation will glow, I don’t know. But there is one thing that
\nI know; it will boomerang at their most critical moments in their
\npolitical voyages.<\/p>\n
It would appear I have enlarged the scope of the discussion by running
\ncommentary on the expectations we have on our leaders in general- instead
\nof Mr. El-rufa’i .This is conscious because most of the State Chief
\nExecutives are operating from the same playbook. Majority \u00a0of them have
\nharassed and jailed social commentators. And terminated promising careers
\nof civil servants because they expressed their views on how they are being
\ngoverned. It’s not Mr. El-rufa’i the Governor of Kaduna State alone that
\nhas been infested with these virus of repression and suppression of
\nopposition elements in their states. Most of them are guilty!<\/p>\n
Lest they forget, they can’t include the number of dissidents they
\narrested, molested and intimidated \u00a0as part of their achievements at the
\nend of their tenures. They will be judge by the number of infrastructures,
\nsocial programmes, and bridges of unity they constructed between and
\namongst their people. They will be judge on how they improved primarily
\nand secondary healthcare delivery system. They will be judge by how they
\ndownsized maternal and infant mortality rates in their climes. They will
\nbe judge by agricultural policies etc.<\/p>\n
Dr. John Danfulani
\nKaduna
\n11\/11\/2016<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Monday the 7th of November 2016 Justice Bilkisu Mohammed of Kaduna State High Court 14 of Ibrahim Taiwo Road Kaduna granted me bail. That terminated my 13 days ordeal…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n