Civil rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, has urged Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to sanction the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, for flouting court orders granting Nnamdi Kanu maximum comfort in detention, change of clothing, amongst others.
HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, made this known in a statement on Thursday titled, ‘HURIWA Asks Court To Jail DSS DG For Contemp Over Alleged Maltreatment Of Nnamdi Kanu’.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Justice Nyako ordered on December 2, 2021 that the Indigenous People of Biafra leader (Kanu) should not be discriminated against in the custody of the secret police.
The presiding judge had also ordered that Kanu be given maximum comfort possible in detention, be allowed a change of clothing, be allowed free practice of his Jewish faith including access to his Jewish religious materials, allowed to receive any visitor of his choice, and allowed to mingle freely with other inmates in DSS custody.
Justice Nyako also adjourned the trial of Kanu till January 18, 2022, after granting a motion for an abridgement of time.
But Kanu’s lead counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor on Monday said he visited Kanu in DSS custody, saying that despite the orders made by the court on December 2, 2021, the DSS flouted and ignored the court orders.
Reacting, HURIWA said, “The rule of law must be observed in all our dealings and we must impress it on the governments at all levels to actively toe the path.
“All binding court orders must be obeyed. Nobody, irrespective of his or her position, will be allowed to toy with court judgments.
“HURIWA strongly canvasses that the court should do the needful by sending the head of the DSS to jail for treating the order of the competent court of law with contempt and absolute disrespect.”
