The Senate has summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over alleged violations of human rights and consistent assault on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution by the Executive.
The Senate asked Malami to appear before it in plenary and explain the constitutional basis for the controversial Executive Order No. 006 and the other Executive Orders which have been issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.
They said the orders were issued in clear usurpation of the lawmaking functions of the National Assembly.
It also urged the federal government to urgently empanel a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate all cases of human rights abuse allegedly committed by the Police, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the course of discharging their duties with a view to identifying the culprits and victims and offering redress where necessary.
These resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored by David Umaru (PDP, Niger East).
Umaru said Nigeria’s democratic credentials have become questionable as a result of the alarming cases of alleged state-inspired human rights violations and consistent constitutional infractions perpetrated by agencies of government.
He said allegations abound that the executive has not only consistently violated the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens particularly the rights to dignity of human person and right to personal liberty but also infringed on the Constitution in several ways.
The lawmaker made reference to the continuous detention of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who has been detained “for over two years in total disregard of over four court orders, including that of the ECOWAS Court which granted him bail pending his trial over money laundering charges” and the continuous incarceration of the leader of the lslamic Movement in Nigeria ( IMN), also known as Shiite, lbrahim El-Zakzaki “for over two years contrary to an order of the Federal High Court which ordered his release in 2016.”
He also made reference to the recent arrest of a senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, “who was whisked away by a detachment of DSS personnel while attending a function at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and later kept incommunicado at DSS detention facility for five days.
