Senior lawyers divided over Lawal, Oke’s sacking without prosecution
Andrew Orolua, Abuja.
Senior lawyers have expressed divergent views over the sacking of suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke by President Muhammadu Buhari without directing their prosecution.
The lawyers: Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Daniel Bwala spoke in separate interviews with The Daily Times last night
Ozekhome said: For the President to give a semblance of any anti corruption fight, which I have never believed he is doing any way, except mere loot recovery from the opposition whilst leaving his oozingly corrupt inner circle intact, he should order the duo prosecuted immediately in addition to the powerful members of his cabinet that have tons of petitions hanging on their necks, but swept under the APC carpet with APC broom.
” Nigeria is obviously in tatters , self denial, divided more than ever before and tottering on a dangerous journey to no destination, it lacks the leadership compass.
But Raji disagreed with Ozekhome’s view, saying that there is the need to commend the Presse t on the matter.
He said, “I think it (the development ) is unfolding. We should give the President the benefit of doubt. Perhaps no tangible crime has been disclosed but rather some infractions which is not worth pressing”.
But Bwala said President Buhari has done the right thing by sacking Lawal and Oke.
He added that the President could not proceed beyond this administrative measures for now to direct the security agencies to arrest and prosecute them.
According to Bwala, the prosecution of persons suspected to have committed crimes is the function of security agencies, arguing that Buhari that should not act to influence the agencies to do their work.
