Tope Akinyode, a human rights lawyer and National President of Revolutionary Lawyers’ Forum, has vowed to institute criminal proceedings against some presidency aides for violating social distancing order during the burial of Abba Kyari, late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Akinyode, poor Nigerians, who violated the restriction of movement order of government over the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, were arrested, arraigned, prosecuted and convicted accordingly.
He said the law must be equal to all as the poor cannot receive maximum punishment for an offence the rich are pardoned for.
He said, “However, on April 19, 2020, a burial ceremony was organised for Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. During the process, participants violated the lockdown and movement restriction order of government and other sundry regulations. Since then, those who attended the gathering are yet to be brought to book.
“Law must be equal to all. The poor cannot receive maximum punishment for an offence which the rich are pardoned for, otherwise, we will orchestrate a system of injustice and wickedness.
“To that extent, I shall institute a criminal proceeding against every known person who violated extant regulations by attending Abba Kyari’s burial.
“By virtue of Sections 77 (a) and 81 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, C42, LFN, 2004, I am empowered by law as a private citizen to institute criminal proceedings against any offender of law before the Magistrates Court without a fiat of the Attorney General.
“Against the foregoing, I shall institute criminal proceedings against the following persons:
1. Garba Shehu (Presidential spokesperson)
2 Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser)
3. Ambassador Lawal Kazaure (Chief Protocol Officer)
4 Yusuf Sabiu (a.k.a Tunde) Special Assistant to the President
5 Musa Haro Daura, a nephew to the President
6 Mr Ahmad Rufai (Director-General of National Intelligence Agency)
7 Bashir Ahmed (Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari), and others whose names I’m able to obtain.
“The complaint against the foregoing persons shall be filed before the Magistrate Court of the FCT in the course of this week.”
Recall that upon their return from Kyari’s burial, all the mentioned presidency aides were denied entry into the Presidential Villa and were asked to go self-isolate over the next 14 days to eliminate any chances of being infected with the virus.
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