By Yusuf Ladan
The Malami Support Organisation (MSO) has condemned the continued detention of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Chika Malami, SAN, describing it as a serious threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
The Director of Strategy and Communication of the organisation, Mallam Saidu Atiku Abubakar, made this known while addressing members of the MSO at its office in Birnin Kebbi.
He said the arrest and prolonged detention of Malami is a disturbing development that raises fundamental concerns about due process, constitutional safeguards, and respect for the rule of law.
According to him, “Nigeria is a constitutional democracy governed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), not by executive impulse, administrative convenience, or political vendetta.”
Abubakar called for heightened vigilance by civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, human rights groups, and pro-democracy advocates in defending constitutional norms. He also appealed to international human rights bodies and diplomatic missions to closely scrutinise what he described as a dangerous pattern of selective justice and political intimidation taking root in Nigeria.
He cited relevant constitutional provisions, noting that Section 35(1) guarantees the right to personal liberty, permitting deprivation of liberty only under clearly defined circumstances and in accordance with procedures permitted by law.
He further explained that Section 36(1) guarantees the right to fair hearing, requiring that allegations of wrongdoing be determined by a court or tribunal established by law, rather than through executive pressure or media trial, while Section 36(5) entrenches the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven.
“Any deviation from these provisions, whether justified under the guise of anti-corruption, national interest, or political expediency, constitutes not accountability but a direct assault on the constitutional order,” he stated.
Abubakar argued that from all observable indicators, the arrest and detention of Malami bear the hallmarks of selective enforcement rather than impartial justice.
“When state institutions are deployed aggressively against perceived political opponents while individuals aligned with the ruling establishment appear shielded from equivalent scrutiny, the integrity of law enforcement and anti-corruption mechanisms is severely compromised,” he said.
He added that Section 17(2)(a) of the Constitution mandates governance founded on social justice and equality before the law, stressing that selective justice violates this principle and replaces the rule of law with the rule of power.
The MSO, he said, is gravely concerned about what it described as the growing normalisation of weaponised accountability under the APC-led federal government.
“A system where justice is applied unevenly does not strengthen democracy; it corrodes it from within. A war on corruption that exempts the powerful is not reform, but institutional deception,” he said.
He emphasised that the matter goes beyond the personality of Abubakar Malami, SAN, noting that the broader question confronting Nigeria is whether the country will continue to be governed by law or slide into governance by fear, intimidation, and coercion.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, Abubakar stressed that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people, not the persecution of political dissent or intimidation of perceived rivals.
On this note, the Malami Support Organisation reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and democratic accountability, insisting that political intimidation cannot suppress the legitimate aspirations of the people indefinitely.
The organisation called on law enforcement and security agencies to strictly adhere to due process and constitutional provisions, particularly Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.
The MSO also urged its members to remain calm, law-abiding, resolute, and committed to defending the Constitution through peaceful and democratic engagement.