Renown lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has said there’s no immunity to shield public office holders in Nigeria anymore and that senate president Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu would do well to face their trial and quit crying that the senate is being victimized.
Falana made the declaration in Benin on Saturday while speaking on: ‘Limit of executive immunity’ at a ceremony to mark the 60th birthday of Julius Ihonvebere, secretary to the state government (SSG) of Edo.
The presiding officers are facing charges of criminal conspiracy and forgery filed against them by the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami. The senate last week invited Malami to appear before it to explain the suit, but Falana thinks that summon was stretching the powers of the legislature too far.
“They have no immunity to dodge the charges against them”, he said of Saraki and his deputy.
“The senate is now politicizing the issue, saying it is political victimization but not that the offence was not committed.
“As leaders of the national assembly, you are supposed to be above board and that is even the more reason you must be careful.
“Any issue that is criminal in nature must be treated as such.
“The attorney-general of the federation is only answerable to his boss, who is the president and nobody else.
“The same thing applies to the states, so there is no longer absolute immunity in this country.
“And that is why what is happening in Ekiti today about money found in a bank and the governor is saying it is illegal to freeze his account, that is not true.”
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