Constitutional Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN has likened the invasion of Sun Newspapers premises by EFCC, as a reminder of the locusts days of military juntas, when might was right and rule of the thumb was enthroned over the rule of law.
Consequently, he advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to immediately remove its siege from the Sun premises and return all seized items and embrace the path of honour and due process in carrying out its functions.
Condemning the invasion of the newspaper house by EFCC, Ozekhome recalled predicting that “After browbeating and messing up the legislature, cowering and intimidating the judiciary, the next port of call by the all conquering Executive will be the press, the 4th Estate of the realm which has commenced.
In a statement entitled, ‘The Anti-Democratic Siege on The Sun Newspapers: Brigandage Carried Too Far’, Chief Ozekhome said, “The just reported siege on the Sun newspaper houses in purported execution of a court attachment order smacks of executive lawlessness and official brigandage.
“I am not surprised at all, at the invasion, Viet armies’, by force of arms. The reason is that I had, like Nostradamus, predicted and warned, few months ago, that after browbeating and messing up the legislature, cowering and intimidating the judiciary, the next port of call by the all conquering Executive will be the press, the 4th Estate of the realm.
“Some people thought that I was being alarmist because that appeared too farfetched. Now, we are there.
“Going by the questions the recipients of this barbaric act of intimidation were said to have been asked at the Sun premises, the invasion is targeted at total clamp down on the Nigerian press towards unhindered press censorship.
“How can matters in which an appeal has been entered and both parties are already slugging it out at the Court of Appeal ground, levy off execution or attachment, before judgment of the appellate court is finally delivered?
“Such crude reprobate action suggests total descent to anarchy and unbridled dictatorship and totalitarianism.
Continuing he said, “I am getting more and more worried, nay, scared of the directionlessness and undemocratic tendencies of this government.
“That reminds me of the locusts days of military juntas, when might was right and rule of the thumb was enthroned over the rule of law.
“The Sun titles are unarguably some of the very best in this country. Their objectivity in reportage, balancing of contending views, patriotic, pan-Nigerian analysis, fairness in editorials and incisiveness by columnists, are second to none.
“This is calling on the EFCC to immediately remove the siege from the Sun premises, return all seized items and embrace the path of honour and due process in carrying out its functions.”
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