“Those in public office should not be intolerant of criticism in respect of their office so as to ensure that they are accountable to the people.”
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has condemned the detention of Salihu Tanko Yakasai, a former Special Adviser on Media to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State.
Yakasai was sacked as an aide to the Kano governor and was subsequently arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) sacked after he called for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation over insecurity.
According to Falana, In a statement on Sunday, Salihu is being held incommunicado in an undisclosed detention facility for merely exercising his freedom of expression enshrined in Section 39 of the Constitution,1999.
The human right lawyer recalled that between 2013 and 2014, leaders of the now ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, including Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and Alhaji Lai Mohammed repeatedly asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to resign due to insecurity in the country then.
Falana said they were never subjected to any form of intimidation for exercising their freedom of expression at the material time.
The senior advocate, who is the Interim Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), expressed concern over Salihu’s arrest after many civil societies, chieftains of the APC and both chambers of the National Assembly have called for Buhari’s resignation or impeachment over insecurity.
Falana said, “The decision of the founding fathers of the present Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, which must include freedom to criticise, should be praised and any attempt to derogate from it except as provided by the constitution must be resisted.”
“Those in public office should not be intolerant of criticism in respect of their office so as to ensure that they are accountable to the people. They should not be made to feel that they live in an ivory tower and therefore belong to a different class. They must develop thick skins and where possible, plug their ears with wool if they feel too sensitive or irascible.
“In view of the foregoing, we demand or the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Tanko-Yankasai from illegal custody. However, if the State Security Service has evidence that the political detainee has committed any criminal offence known to law he should be transferred to the Police for proper investigation and possible prosecution without any delay,” he said.
The DSS has confirmed that the former aide of the Kano governor is in its custody.
