By Abuja, Nigeria
A legal practitioner and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo has called on Bola Tinubu to ensure the release of a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, insisting that his fundamental human rights must be protected even if he is to face prosecution.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Friday, during an appearance on “Morning Brief” on Channels Television and monitored by AfrikTimes, while reacting to the detention of the former governor of Kaduna State.
According to him, the appropriate legal procedure is either to charge El-Rufai to court or release him, stressing that prolonged detention without trial violates constitutional provisions on personal liberty.
“The first thing he (President Tinubu) should do is to release El-Rufai and we are not saying he should not face trial, but his fundamental human rights should be guaranteed,” Okonkwo said.
He argued that Nigeria operates under the rule of law, and no individual should be detained indefinitely without being formally arraigned before a competent court. Okonkwo further maintained that allowing the legal process to run transparently would strengthen public confidence in the justice system and demonstrate the government’s commitment to democratic principles.
