KANO: Detaining Yakasai without access to lawyers unconstitutional, family tells DSS

THE family of a former aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Salihu Yakasai, has demanded his release noting that detaining him is unconstitutional.

The family made this known in a letter written to the Department of State Services to grant Yakasai  access to lawyer.

The letter was addressed to the Director-General of DSS by a law firm, H. A Gudaji & Co, on behalf of the family.

Part of the letter read, “We write on behalf of Alhaji Tanko Yakasai OFR, hereinafter referred to as our client.“Our client has been reliably informed that his son, Salihu Tanko Yakasau AKA Dawisu/Peacock, was yesterday Friday, 26th of February, 2021, arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), and he has instructed us to act on his behalf.

“As an agency created, governed, and guided by law, we hereby apply to your good offices for the following – grant us Attorney-Client access to Salihu Tanko Yakasai, release Yakasai on administrative bail.

“We predicate this application on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and all other relevant laws in that regard.”

Salihu, one of the founders of Area Consultative Forum, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, was sacked by Ganduje yesterday after criticising President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress.

Yakasai’s criticism came on the heels of the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls at Jangebe Zamfara State last week.

He said the spate of insecurity in the country has shown that President Buhari can not handle the problem, thereby asking him to resign.

Meanwhile, barely hours after  Yakasai’s statement on Twitter, the  Department of State Services  yesterday, arrested the sacked aide.

The agency’s spokesman, Peter Afunanya, confirmed Salihu’s detention in a statement issued on yesterday evening.

He said, “This is to confirm that Salihu Tanko-Yakasai is with the Department of State Services. He is being investigated over issues beyond the expression of opinions in the social media as wrongly alleged by sections of the public,” the statement read in part.