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| Senate President, Bukola Saraki |
Nigerian Senate on Monday ordered its Joint Committee on Police and Judiciary to investigate the ongoing detention of an activist, Deji Adeyanju, by the Nigerian Police.
Adeyanju was accused of killing a Kano businessman, Alhassan Ali, on Thursday, January 6, 2005, in Kano.
He was charged with homicide, alongside three other persons alleged to be his accomplice. But Adeyanju denied the allegations in court, saying he was not even in Kano on the night of the killing.
Thirteen years after, the case was being cited by the Police, who have arrested and released Adeyanju on two different occasions before his recent arrest.
But, the Nigerian Senate during plenary on Tuesday has resolved to bring succour to the matter.
The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, who expressed displeasure at Adeyanju’s ordeal, said it was unacceptable in a democracy.
“Mr president. We are in a democracy. Our constitution has given us the freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” Melaye said.
He said, “This is not acceptable to me, it should not be acceptable to the Senate. It is time for the Senate to stand up and speak up in the defence of Deji Adeyanju. We need to defend Deji Adeyanju as we need to defend every Nigerian.”
Melaye, however, pleaded with the Senate to constitute a committee to look investigate the cause of Adeyanju’s continuous detention without a court ruling.
“A matter like this should be awoken from the grave. This is about our basic fundamental human right,” Melaye said.
Nigerian Senate president, Bukola Saraki, thereafter directed a Point of Order to the Joint Committee on Police and Judiciary to investigate and report back to the House in one week – Tuesday, December 25.
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Adeyanju was accused of killing a Kano businessman, Alhassan Ali, on Thursday, January 6, 2005, in Kano.
He was charged with homicide, alongside three other persons alleged to be his accomplice. But Adeyanju denied the allegations in court, saying he was not even in Kano on the night of the killing.
Thirteen years after, the case was being cited by the Police, who have arrested and released Adeyanju on two different occasions before his recent arrest.
But, the Nigerian Senate during plenary on Tuesday has resolved to bring succour to the matter.
The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, who expressed displeasure at Adeyanju’s ordeal, said it was unacceptable in a democracy.
“Mr president. We are in a democracy. Our constitution has given us the freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” Melaye said.
He said, “This is not acceptable to me, it should not be acceptable to the Senate. It is time for the Senate to stand up and speak up in the defence of Deji Adeyanju. We need to defend Deji Adeyanju as we need to defend every Nigerian.”
Melaye, however, pleaded with the Senate to constitute a committee to look investigate the cause of Adeyanju’s continuous detention without a court ruling.
“A matter like this should be awoken from the grave. This is about our basic fundamental human right,” Melaye said.
Nigerian Senate president, Bukola Saraki, thereafter directed a Point of Order to the Joint Committee on Police and Judiciary to investigate and report back to the House in one week – Tuesday, December 25.
In this article: