Babachir Lawal Laments Continued Incarceration Of Emefiele, Bawa, Knocks President Tinubu

By Akinwale Kasali

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has lamented the continued detention of former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele and former  Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

Lawal knocked President Bola Tinubu’s administration for detaining the duo of Emefiele and Bawa without trial.

The prolonged detention of the duo has generated controversy leading to protests by various Human Right Groups and Activists calling on the Department of State Security, DSS, under which custody the Government kept them to charge them to Court.

Lawal in a Statement said Nigerians have a right to demand the freedom of fellow Nigerians as the freedom of speech and human rights is for all.

He said, “If Bola Tinubu claims he fought Abacha on the side of democracy and free speech, it is unbecoming and unacceptable that the NBC should threaten journalists under his watch.

“It is indefensible to keep the EFCC Chairman and the CBN governor under arrest for extended periods of time without or before trial, just as it is also unacceptable that political parties are used to intimidate and harass citizens exercising their opinions in the public domain”, he stated.

Lawal was a strong Tinubu ally and an APC Chieftain before they fell apart over the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s Vice President. Lawal had criticised the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC as not good for the Country.