The Chairman of the African Action Congress in Gombe State, Bobo Bagwiba, on Saturday raised alarm over the continued detention of six individuals arrested in connection with the Mai Tangle leadership crisis, calling on Governor Muhammadu Yahaya to intervene and uphold constitutional rights.
In an open letter addressed to the Governor and made available to our correspondent, Bagwiba expressed concern over what he described as the “prolonged and unjust” incarceration of Abdon Lamai (popularly known as Sarkin Samarai), Moses Dan Alfa (a person with disability), Shedrack Timothy (aka Lagos), Malachi Charles, Grace Timothy, and Felix Paul (aka Bonny), who have been in custody since 2021.
“These individuals were arrested following the unrest that trailed the Mai Tangle succession controversy. “However, there is no clear evidence linking them directly to the violence, and they have remained in detention for years without trial or conviction,” the statement partly read.
He stressed that the continued detention of these individuals—especially Moses Dan Alfa, who has disability—was a violation of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bagwida said, “Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly provides that every person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court of law. This prolonged detention without sentencing is a gross denial of that right.”
He urged the governor to take immediate steps by directing relevant authorities to either expedite the trial or release the detainees if there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute them.
He further appealed for compassion in the case of Moses Dan Alfa. “The fact that one of the detainees is a person with disability makes this situation even more urgent,” he noted. “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, regardless of political or traditional sentiments.”
Bagwiba concluded by calling on civil society organisations, human rights defenders, and the general public to support efforts toward securing justice for the detainees. “Their continued detention is not only unconstitutional but also inhumane. Gombe State must not be seen to trample on the rights of its own people.”
