Siege, 'House Arrest' Of Ex-NSA Dasuki Illegal, Dictatorial — PDP's Olisa Metuh

July 17, 2015

377

Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the siege laid to the Abuja residence of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), as “unconstitutional”.

Metuh accused President Muhammadu Buhari of going the way of dictators, saying the last time when a former government official was placed under “house arrest” was during the military era.

He said Buhari has been treating those who served under former president, Goodluck Jonathan as “prisoners of war”, warning that the party would not tolerate such “illegal act”.

“I came into Abuja today because I read about the invasion of the house of the former NSA and his detention,” he told reporters in Abuja.

“I drove to his house to see him and to find out what is happening. Then about seven or eight security operatives came out and they said that I cannot see him because the house is under security watch. And I asked them, security watch in terms of treason or terrorism? And they said they are not in a position to say.

“If he is under security watch on account of corruption or any other reason, then it’s totally against the constitution of this country because this is a democracy and democratic tenets and principles apply.

“We are not guilty because we served under a former president. We are not guilty because we lost an election. We are not prisoners of war and we should not be treated like prisoners of war.” Metuh said if there were suspicions of any act of illegality against Dasuki, he ought to have been invited for questioning and not to be “held against his will” He added that Nigerians are getting worried by the conduct of the president and his aides.

“If anybody has committed anything against the laws of Nigeria, let him be invited, let there be investigation,” he said. “The fact that you shroud things in mystery and invade someone’s house and detain him against his will is an anathema in democracy.

“Nigerians are getting scared. There are certain activities by some of his aides and people around him; it’s like they are taking us back to the military era where we were coming from. “We should be careful here because this was how it started in Zimbabwe and other countries. Before you know it we have a dictatorship. “Please, Mr President, father of our nation, we ask for basic respect for human rights. Let our inalienable rights be observed and respected in a democracy. Freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”