Saraki on Adeyanju’s arrest: Have we receded to military rule?

Senate President Bukola Saraki says it sems like the country has gone back to the period of military rule.

Saraki said this while calling for the release of Deji Adeyanju, convener of Concerned Nigerians.

On December 13, the police arrested Adeyanju for a murder case that he and some of his associates were discharged and acquitted for 2009.

He initially stood trial for the case in Kano in 2000.

Before the arrest, he was arraigned for alleged cyberstalking, inciting disturbance, criminal defamation and promoting terrorism on social media.

But in a statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, special adviser on media to the senate president, Saraki urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the fundamental human rights of Adeyanju are not continuously abused.

The senate president said the case “is more political than judicial”.

“The way the matter has been handled and the last decision of the magistrate court to remand the young man in prison till after the conclusion of the 2019 polls has presented our democracy in bad light,” he said.

“We are now looking like a country that has receded to the period of military rule. The president needs to intervene to find out whether the current travail of Deji Adeyanju has anything to do with his frequently expressed viewpoints against the federal government and why his arrest after leading a protest has now ignited all the various charges being filed against him and if it was true that the charges for which he has been remanded in prison till February had actually being adjudicated upon by the high court.

“It should be noted that prior to the coming to office of this government, those of us in opposition, the APC, freely criticized the Goodluck Jonathan government and flayed their actions and statements without any attempt by the administration to stifle opposing views.

“This administration which benefitted from such open market place of ideas, which is a key tenet of a democratic regime, cannot offer anything less to our people.

“At this point, President Buhari should not allow the excesses and over-zealousness of some security agents to give his government a bad name and that is why I think he should interfere and let the world know the truth about this case.

“It is obvious that this case is purely political and not about any judicial action. I also call on all human rights protection groups to wade into this matter and ensure we do not watch helplessly as the rights of a citizen is being trampled upon.”