Release Bawa from DSS Custody Now, Falana Appeals to FG

Femi Falana, a human rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has requested that the Federal Government order the release of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), from the Department of State Services’ (DSS) custody.

According to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the cumulative lifespan of a remand order is 56 days; Falana noted that the remand order against Bawa had already expired. As a result of exceeding the amount of time that can be detained under the Act and the Nigerian Constitution, DSS should be ordered to release Bawa from unlawful custody as soon as possible.

Even though Godwin Emefiele and Bawa, the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor and Director of Public Prosecution at the Federal Ministry of Justice, had a history of disobeying court orders while in office, he said that the Federal Government should make sure that their rights are respected.

“The plight of both suspects should serve as a lesson to all public officials in Nigeria who consistently act as if there is no tomorrow. The government, which is governed by law, is obligated by law to respect citizens’ fundamental rights only as permitted by the Constitution, he continued.

Falana emphasized that he had previously demanded the immediate release of Emefiele and Bawa, saying: “I requested the Federal Government to charge the two detained suspects before a court of competent jurisdiction, if there was evidence they had committed criminal offenses.