Featured

Falana, rights group condemn travel ban as historic mistake, ‘illegal and repressive’

111

The federal government’s travel ban on 50 Nigerians facing corruption charges on Saturday  threw fuel on the already explosive debate over the war on corruption, with many in Nigeria condemning it as a historic mistake.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana on Sunday said the government is not empowered under the law to restrict the movement of criminal suspects.

“Sadly, the travel ban is a sad reminder of the reckless placement of political opponents on security watch list and seizure of their passports by the defunct military junta,” he said.

“Notwithstanding such judicial indictment of politically exposed persons seeking medical treatment during trial the law has not authorised the Executive to restrict the movement of criminal suspects.

“To that extent, the directive to place the 50 high profile suspected persons on watch list and restrict their movement is highly superfluous, completely unwarranted and totally uncalled for.

“In fact, it is an ingenious design to expose the Buhari administration to ridicule.

“If the federal government had done some background check it would have discovered that the names of the 50 VIPs have long been placed on security watch list while their passports have been impounded by the anti graft agencies or the courts as one of the conditions for admitting them to bail.

“For the umpteenth time, I am compelled to caution the Buhari administration to wage the war against the menace of corruption within the ambit of the rule of law.

Outrage over the decision was immediately palpable as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said that “The order banning 50 alleged high-profile corrupt Nigerians from travelling abroad without any legal basis and a judicial authorisation is clearly arbitrary, repressive and illegal, as it breaches constitutional rights and the country’s international obligations, which protect the rights to freedom of movement, to leave one’s country, to privacy, and to due process of law.”

The organization said: “A travel ban by its nature is an interference with the right to leave one’s country. It is neither necessary nor proportionate to prevent dissipation of stolen assets or stop politically exposed persons (PEPs) from tampering with any such assets. The ban should be immediately lifted and the order rescinded.”

But SERAP in a statement today signed by its deputy director Timothy Adewale said: “Rather than performing its declared objective of preventing dissipation of stolen assets, the travel ban would seriously undermine the government’s expressed commitment to combat grand corruption and violate the country’s international human rights obligations. The travel ban will play right into the hands of high-profile corrupt officials by feeding into the narrative that the fight against corruption is targeted only at political opponents.”

“The travel ban will also strain the government’s relationships with partner countries, on whom it will inevitably rely for vital asset recovery cooperation, undermining the effort to bring them closer. By alienating these partners, the government could lose access to important information and mutual legal assistance necessary to effectively recover stolen assets and bring corrupt officials to justice.”

 

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce inagurates Atelly as 18th President, unveils programmes

Ray Atelly has been sworn in as the 18th President of the...

Kano guber poll ‘clerical error’: An Appeal Court judgment in a mire of controversy

The past few months have been characterized with legal tussles over the...

Why I did not walk out of Super Falcons before FIFA female World Cup – Waldrum

In a recent podcast interview with ‘On The Whistle’ podcast. Randy Waldrum,...

Niger’s ousted president is being denied food and electricity, says European Union

The European Union Friday said it had “deep concern” about the treatment...

Breaking: Ex-Kaduna Gov. El rufai might reject ministerial appointment 

The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El rufai is...

President Tinubu appoints Ajuri Ngelale as special adviser media & publicity

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Chief Ajuri...

Are ‘balloons’ the new drug epidemic in Nigeria?

They may look like the normal balloons you see at children’s birthday...

From Fame to Penury: The Despicable Tales of Nigerian Veteran Thespians

The entertainment industry, particularly the movie circle, has been in the eye...

Content creation is the new oil, says Broda Shaggi in an exclusive interview with PSN

There are not many in the class of Samuel Animashaun Perry otherwise...

Hubby’s watery sperm, erectile dysfunction crash two-month-old marriage

A husband’s watery sperm has forced his wife to urge the court...

Max Air Acquires 16 Year Old Boeing 777-200

Kano based Max Air Limited has taken delivery of its first Boeing...

From waste collection to classroom: Story of Adamu’s pursuit of education

Coming from the background of a family of seven children and parents...

Fuel Subsidy: Need for Labour to tread softly, Softly 

The Labour Movement in Nigeria is up in arms against the Federal...

Between the dialectics and the benefits of petroleum subsidy removal

By Paul Njowusi For many years, successive administrations in Nigeria had embraced...

Kudos, knocks for courts’ ruling clearing the coast for Tinubu’s May 29 inauguration – PSN exclusive

By Ajuma Edwina Ameh and Samuel Akpan …the body language of the...

Buhari inaugurates N19.6bn Customs corporate hqts in Abuja, says new Customs Act will drive efficiency

With the newly signed Customs Act and a befitting corporate headquarters for...

Africa’s largest refinery, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Lekki-Lagos inaugurated

Africa’s largest refinery, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals planted in Ibeju-Lekki area...