DSS Is An Extension Of Buhari’s Despotic And Toxic Regime -By Bayo Oluwasanmi

The interpretation of maladies churn out daily by Department of State Services why Omoyele Sowore was not released despite two separate court orders by two separate judges makes DSS an extension of President Muhammadu Buhari’s despotic and toxic regime.

The continued detention of Sowore brings into the fore the monumental breakdown of rule of law initiated and supervised by the chief law officer of the country, President Buhari. It’s a danger that threatens the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.

First, DSS said that no one came to claim Sowore as if Sowore was “lost but found” luggage. Second, DSS claimed that Sowore’s sureties failed to appear before it. Third, it said Sowore was yet to be released because he asked and preferred to be in their custody. This buffoonery of DSS makes a mockery of federal government agency saddled with the burdensome and sensitive responsibility of internal security of the nation.

We all know President Buhari, his DSS Director-General, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, and the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, are uneducated, ignorant, and uninformed to understand the meaning of rule of law. Rule of law is a principle under which all persons, institutions, and other entities are accountable to laws that are: (1) publicly promulgated, (2) equally enforced, (3) independently adjudicated and (4) consistent with international human rights principles.

A true democratic government operates as an “empire of laws” and not like the kingdom of despots ruled by incorrigible tyrants. In a democracy, justice must be dispensed by deliberate and dispassionate courts. Government must be run according to rules free of machinations of a despot like Buhari, DSS, or any other institution.

President Buhari is the one undermining the rule of law by his determined effort to rewrite or amend our constitution by flouting court orders. He is the prosecutor and the judge. He cherry picks which court orders to obey. With barrack mentality and jack boot gangsterism, he runs Nigeria like army camp.

He is ruthless, callous, dangerous, insensitive, and naturally wicked. His mind is seared to reason, persuasion, and good governance. He is reckless with power and feels fulfilled by operating illegally and entirely outside of the constitution. It is sad that Nigerians that are being used by Buhari forget that the only way they can safeguard their freedom and democracy is for Buhari, DSS, and other institutions to respect the rule of law. This is the heart of the matter in the Sowore case. This is what ‘Buharidindinrins’ and other ‘Akindanidanis’ failed to grasp.

Nigerians should know that the protection shield against tyranny guaranteed by the constitution and rule of law for every citizen cease to exist the moment court orders are subject to the review of the president. We are at the moment right now.

It is painful to note that the erosion of rule of law and violation of our constitution by Buhari is carried out under the nose of his Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, a law professor. Osinbajo is not only a law professor, but an ordained pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God.

As a law professor, we expect Osinbajo to advise Buhari that he’s acting illegally and outside of the constitution. As a pastor, Osinbajo should be the conscience of Buhari’s tyrannical rule by preaching and fighting for justice, equality, and freedom of Nigerians just like the men of God in the Old Testament – Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, etc. did even under the most dangerous circumstances. 

Instead of finding solutions to Nigeria’s historical twin major problems of corruption and poverty that ravage the land, Buhari is fighting critics and oppressing the poor and the powerless. The most dangerous terrorist Nigerians have to dread from now till 2023 is President Muhammadu Buhari.