The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described as illegal and unlawful, the detention of the former National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki who has been placed on house arrest.
This comes as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have continued to restrain his movement for the second consecutive day.
When our correspondent visited his Asokoro residence in Abuja Friday, DSS operatives were still in his compound, restraining people from entering.
Attempts by a couple with KIA saloon car marked Abuja GWA 651 AS to enter the residence around12:33pm were rebuffed by security men.
Also, another attempt by Olisa Metuh, PDP national publicity secretary, to enter the residence was denied, as he was also turned back.
But the NSA was inside his house all through the time.
Speaking with journalists who were keeping vigil around Dasuki’s residence at the weekend, Metuh who visited at 12:55pm said he was there on the instruction of the acting national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus.
He described the development as unconstitutional, adding that it is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the former NSA.
For him, the incident is reminiscent of military dictatorship and against the tenets of democracy.
The PDP spokesman also declared that as former NSA, it is not a crime to serve under the administration of Jonathan.
His words: “I came into Abuja because I read the situation about the invasion of the house of the former NSA and his detention and house arrest. So, I drove to his house as a personal friend 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.
“The fact is that we deserve basic freedom, liberty and movements associated with democracy.
“The truth is that Nigerians are getting scared. They voted for the President and he was duly elected. And now he’s the father of the nation, he’s the father of everyone. He’s not serving any other interest. But they 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. The last time this happened was under the military. There has never been any situation where people will be held against their will. It is completely against his fundamental human rights. And we should be careful here because this was how it started in Zimbabwe and other countries. Before you know it we have a dictatorship. You cannot scare us.
“We are not guilty because we served under a former President. We are not guilty because we lost an election. We are not losers in a war. We lost an election, not a war. We are not prisoners of war and we should not be treated like prisoners of war.
“What we demand is that we deserve the respect; there is Rule of Law. We will not condone corrupt activities or any other unlawful or illegal act. If anybody has committed anything against the laws of Nigeria, let him be invited, let there be investigation. If there is a warrant of arrest or a judge can rule that he should be detained but the fact that you shroud things in mystery and you invade someone’s house, occupy his house and detain him against his will. It’s an anathema in democracy.”
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE
