ECOWAS, ordered the immediate release of Dasuki, Buhari Gov’t Ignores ECOWAS Court Order

Former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki (R) arrives with one of his counsels Ahmed Raji at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, September 1, 2015. 

The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, ordered the immediate release of Dasuki who has been help incommunicado on the orders of President Buhari since December 4, 2016. The court declared the government’s action as unlawful, arbitrary, and a violation of Dasuki’s fundamental human rights.

The Muhammadu Buhari-led government has attempted to explain why it continues with his draconian tradition of disobeying court orders “that are against the president’s personal beliefs”, in the case of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

The ECOWAS court slammed Nigeria with a N15 million fine in the judgement which was delivered on Tuesday, October 3, 2016.

The country’s federal attorney general, Abubakar Malami has said that the federal government is “still understudying the judgement”, which was delivered on Tuesday in clear terms.

Speaking through a media aide, Salihu Isah, Malami said,  “We cannot just react. We will first of all study the judgement to understand it’s content before taking a stand.”

Dasuki is being prosecuted by the federal government on alleged misappropriation of funds designated for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram. He has been granted bail by a federal high court.

On meeting his bail conditions, operatives of the country’s secret police picked him up on December 4, 2015 as he was leaving the Kuje Medium Security Prison in Abuja. He has not been seen in public since.

Since then, the Department of State Security Services, DSS, has failed to produce him in court 5 times.