I restrained myself from commenting on the obvious defamatory and oppressive publications by the State Security Services (SSS) vide its Twitter handle, because I refused to believe that such utterly ridiculous and malicious tweets could emanate from such a government establishment.
It is almost inconceivable that the SSS, which is Nigeria's supposed secret Police, would condescend to such an ignoble level of social media “wotowoto”, though I am not totally surprised.
Unfortunately, the SSS' tweets under reference has further exposed to the world that even we, lawyers, who are discharging our constitutional and professional duties in offering our legal services to clients, IPOB inclusive, are not immune from the SSS conspiracy to profile us as dangerous citizens, blacklist us as such, and consequently, portray us in a very bad light.
Shamefully, this sad reality stares us in the face under this undemocratic institution. It never occurred to the SSS that Maxwell Opara, Esq. in this context, is duty bound, and equally protected, to offer his legal services to any person who sought same from him, regardless of the person’s ethnic, political or religious affiliation/background.
Unfortunately, the SSS under the headship of its current leadership has turned themselves into an anti-democratic institution who maintain no iota of respect for the Rule of Law and constituted authorities.
The current leadership of the SSS is infamous and well known for their serial violation/disobedience of Court Judgment and Orders, with impunity. They are notable for perpetuating enforced disappearances of innocent and unarmed citizens – live cases abound.
Otherwise, how could one explain that up until now, the SSS under the current leadership, is yet to obey the Orders of a Court of competent jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal, that directed the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Today, three of my wards namely: Felix Okonkwo, Okafor Lawrence Ugochukwu and Ikenna Chibuike, are still languishing in the custody of the SSS for not committing any offence known to law despite being freed by the Orders of the Federal High Court Awka. Unfortunately, the SSS have just recently, clandestinely relocated these three of my wards to Wawa Barracks, Niger State, in a bid to erase any trace of their illegal detention at the SSS facility in Abuja. This was sequel to the alarm that I raised on their continued illegal and unconstitutional detention at the facility of the SSS in Abuja.
Furthermore, the orders of the Federal High Court, Awka, directing the SSS and its Director General, to identify and prosecute their officers that participated in the murderous invasion of my ancestral home in Oraifite on the 6th June, 2021, and the consequent barbaric and gruesome murder of my Personal Assistant- Late Mr. Samuel Okoro, has not been obeyed till date.
On this note, and for other reasons that may not be comprised in this post, I call on the President Tinubu led Government to speedily carry out a total overhaul of the lawless institution called “SSS”, which first step should start with the immediate removal of their headship to give way for a neutral and democratic citizen to take over and sanitize that institution.
We stand in solidarity with Maxwell Opara, Esq. and hereby demand for the immediate investigation of the ignoble and offending tweets which emanated from the State Security Service's platform, being serviced with our hard-earned taxpayers money.
Enough is enough!!!
Enough of this intimidation of lawyers and citizens alike!!!
Signed:
Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq. (KSC)
19th July, 2023.
