Mixed reactions have trailed the handcuffing of Nigeria’s opposition spokesman Chief Olisa Metuh who appeared in court on Tuesday for his bail application hearing handcuffed by prison officials.
Drawing a sharp contrast between the treatment meted to Metuh and former NSA Sambo Dasuki, some Nigerians in the social media have condemned the Buhari government’s double-sided approach in the war against corruption.
All through his appearances in court, the former NSA Sambo Dasuki with bigger allegations of graft leveled against him was allowed to freely walk into the court premises without the restraints of handcuffs leaving many unanswered questions as to why Olisa Metuh, the image maker of Nigeria’s leading opposition party was paraded like a common criminal.
Yusuff Olagoke, a legal practitioner who spoke to SIGNAL on Tuesday said there was nothing out of place in the use of handcuffs on Metuh by prison officials. According to him, the prison officials have the discretion to place any suspect in restraints if they sufficiently believe there are reasons to protect the suspect from harming himself in the course of being transported from the prison to court or sustaining injuries if attacked in the course of the transportation. He however noted that “the presumption of a suspect’s innocence is activated the moment he or she steps into the courtroom.”
However, a Twitter user who tweets anonymously via the handle @StoPropaganda alleged government interference and manipulation, accusing the Minister of Interior Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) for personally ordering Olisa Metuh to be put in handcuffs for the “newspaper photo effect”.
Follow my tweets as I reveal how Olisa Metuh, spokesperson of the opposition in Nigeria was embarrassed and handcuffed to court today.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
The Controller of Kuje Prison ACP, Musa Tanko got 2 calls around 4pm yesterday about Olisa Metuh. One was from his Controller-General.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
The other call was from General Danbazzau. The callers were particularly angry with the Controller. It was all about Olisa Metuh.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
Both callers were angry with ACP Musa Tanko, querying why he wasn’t hard on Olisa Metuh. They threatened to transfer him to Kebbi.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
They directed him to be extremely hard on Olisa Metuh as he is an enemy of the state.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
They instructed him to make sure Olisa Metuh appear in handcuffs in Court as they will want the picture on every newspaper on Wednesday.
— EndPropaganda (@StoPropaganda) January 19, 2016
Meanwhile, the PDP in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the development saying it was a plot carefully designed to humiliate, embarrass and portray PDP leaders as common criminals and set the stage to cow and decimate opposition and perceived foes of the government.
According to the PDP, it was worrisome that institutions of government, especially security and corrective agencies have now fallen victims of dictatorial abuses.
“Our fear now is that in no time, ordinary citizens of Nigerians, who in the last 16 years have lived under the rule of law and constitutionally guaranteed personal liberty, would begin to suffer brutality and oppression. Under PDP administration, some Nigerians, including APC leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu were tried but never humiliated; now we see security operatives under this regime being used to crush and humiliate the opposition, ” the statement said.
A Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to Mr. Metuh on Tuesday, on the condition that he pays N400 million as bond.
Mr. Metuh is to also submit his international passport, and must provide two sureties with N200 million each. The sureties must have properties in Maitama district of Abuja.
Mr. Metuh is accused of receiving N400 million from an arms money allegedly diverted by the office of the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki. He has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for about two weeks.
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