LAGOS – Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, has slammed the Police for their blatant breach of citizens’ rights and disregard for court orders.

Atiku’s outrage follows the arrest and transporta­tion of Yusuf Sheriff Ban­ki from Abuja to Maidugu­ri, Borno State, in defiance of a standing court order.

Justice M. A. Madugu of the Bwari Judicial Divi­sion, had on June 13, 2024, granted an order restrain­ing the IGP, AIG Zone 15, CP FCT, their agents, privies or anybody acting on their authority from arresting, intimidating, harassing and threaten­ing Yusuf Sheriff Banki and his families pending the determination of the suit before the court.

But, the Nigeria Police acted in breach of that or­der. Atiku is incensed by the Gestapo-style arrest, which flagrantly violated a valid and subsisting court injunction restraining the Inspector General of Po­lice, the Assistant Inspec­tor General of Police Zone 15, and the Commissioner of Police FCT from arrest­ing Banki.

Atiku, in a statement on Saturday by his Media Ad­viser, Paul Ibe, condemned the action and berated the Police for their impunity and lack of respect for the rule of law and citizens’ rights.

He decried the incident as reminiscent of the op­pressive military dicta­torship era when citizens were detained without adherence to legal pro­cesses.

Emphasising that Nige­ria is a nation of law and order, Atiku called on the Police to unconditionally release Yusuf Sheriff Ban­ki.

He also highlighted a worrying trend of journal­ists being arrested under the guise of the cybersecu­rity law for holding leaders accountable.