Human rights advocate, Chidi Odinkalu, has condemned the indefinite detention of Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, saying it lacks any legal or constitutional justification. He emphasized that no citizen should be treated as above or beneath the law.
Odinkalu criticized El-Rufai’s past actions but stressed that constitutional rights apply to all Nigerians, regardless of personal opinions. He described pre-trial detention standards as clear and warned against administrative detention.
He urged authorities, including the ICPC and DSS, to charge El-Rufai formally in court if there are tenable criminal allegations. Odinkalu maintained that failing to do so violates legal norms and due process.
“The law does not permit interminable detention. Holding anyone indefinitely without trial is unlawful, unjustifiable, and unconstitutional,” he said, calling for adherence to Nigeria’s legal framework in all cases.
