On
Monday May 9, 2016, I did a Facebook post on the commando-like invasion
of the home of Femi Fani-Kayode and his continued detention. As usual,
defenders of the new order came down in their expected way of justifying
the most glaring case of human rights abuses. They said that the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had secured a court
order to detain Femi Fani-Kayode beyond the “stipulated time allowed by
law”, to quote Vanguard Newspaper.
The two weeks lapsed and what did EFCC
do again? They went to Lagos to get another ‘order’ to detain him for
further three weeks that will lapse again either tomorrow or next.
Why is Fani-Kayode being detained? He is
being detained “pending the time EFCC will carry out investigation into
receipt of N840 million during the 2015 campaign”, again, to quote Vanguard.
In case we have all forgotten, Femi
Fani-Kayode was the director of media for the Goodluck Jonathan
Presidential Campaign Organisation. The same position Shehu Garba held
for Buhari. Let me be quoted here. I know how Garba, on several
occasions, moved round during the campaign, ‘meeting’ with journalists,
calling senior editors, social media canvassers, pressure groups and so
on. He was not going around with cowries! Was he?
I have never seen a situation whereby
someone is being detained pending investigation in a corruption case.
Someone should help with a precedence. Investigations would have been
conducted after which arrest is made and the suspect is charged to court
IMMEDIATELY.
Now, nearly six weeks of Femi
Fani-Kayode’s life have been spent behind bars, will the state
compensate him if he is found not guilty by a competent court of law?
When we write like this, some Buhari
apologists say we are defending looters. And it is because of the way
these guys’ minds have been colonised. To them, even the most educated
of them, the moment EFCC invites you, you are GUILTY of corruption. Yet,
Prof. Sagay, one of the most rabid defenders of this government, said
“nothing in law says arrest and prosecution cannot lead to acquittal.”
But to our super patriots, when a judge acquits a suspect, that judge
has either been bribed or he is supporting looters. What a childish way
of thinking!
The disturbing similarities in the way
Femi Fani-Kayode and Olisa Metuh’s cases are being pursued show this is
more than fighting corruption. It is just to keep away those criticising
this government as long as possible. And the anti-corruption war has
come handy. It is a shame.
Jude Ndukwe, Femi Fani-Kayode’s media
aide, had this to say a week ago in a statement to
journalists, “Fani-Kayode has since fulfilled the conditions for his
bail but rather than take the honourable path of releasing him pending
any charge brought against him, the anti-graft agency moved him from
Abuja to Lagos where they obtained a questionable warrant to further
detain him illegally for another three weeks.”
Ndukwe added that Chief Fani-Kayode is
being pressured to make a statement that will implicate former President
Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP leaders. This, according to sources, is
what Fani-Kayode has refused to do. Hence, his continued incarceration.
Maybe we need to remind ourselves, no
matter how blinded by emotions and consumed by puerile support for this
budding civilian dictatorship, that we are still running a democratic
government. Maybe we should also know that no matter how much we want
looters killed, the best practices all over the world is that an accused
must have his day in court, and he remains innocent until proven
guilty.
Maybe we should also remember that there
was nothing Metuh and Fani-Kayode did during the 2015 elections that
Lai Mohammed and Shehu Garba did not do too!
And when the history of these times is
being written, I still wonder how many of us will be able to face its
verdict. The verdict of history. The consolation? Its verdict is never
influenced by emotions but fairness to all!
Samuel Ajayi is a Nigerian journalist. Connect with him on Facebook.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors.
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