Nobody Is Above The Law – Not Even The President: Danladi Umar, Turn Yourself In To The Nearest Police Station
It has been more than 24 hours since the world saw the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, apparently caught on camera physically assaulting a security guard at Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja, Nigeria.
It was almost about this time in 2019 that you in your position as the presiding judge over assets charges ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu to arrest the now former Chief Justice of the Nigerian Court, Walter Onnoghen after failing to appear before your court because no one is above the law; I fully agreed with you. And Nigerians did not see any reason why the chief judge should refuse his court appearance.
The video evidence of you physically assaulting a security guard is an allegation, but you have no right to ignore the law because of your status in the society.
The mere fact that you are a perceived suspect as it relates to your publicly assaulting someone is enough for the police to arrest you as a case like this is not just between you and the victim, but between you and the government for an apparent violent act in public places.
This begs the question why President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko as well as the National Judicial have not swiftly acted on this matter?
In line with our Constitution and the rule of law I request that you turn yourself in to the nearest local police station and get bail on your own recognizance. We are still a nation of the rule of laws and not rule of men.
The Press Statement from the Code of Conduct Bureau by your spokesperson Ibraheem Al-Hassan, which included the words “BIAFRAN boys” appeared to be introducing the label of ethnic prejudice. This is unfortunate especially when the same press release did not deny that the security guard was slapped, kicked, forced to kneel while doing his job.
Even if he was “rude” the apparent response from you as a public officer and a man of jurisprudence was excessively forceful, not just to the security guard but it was endangering to the public at the time.
So, I ask you respectfully to turn yourself in to the police, as the world is watching, and many are already calling for a warrant for you to be arrest by the police. This you will not like. This matter is not going away soon, not in this age of the social media and human rights concerns about Nigeria.
Remember that as a man of the law who works in the area of public conduct, no one in Nigeria, not even you or anyone else should be putting him or herself above the law as such, is a threat to our already troubled democracy.
Prof John Egbeazien Oshodi, an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings especially. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Author of over 35 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.
Prof. Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria to parents with almost 40 years of police/corrections service. Periodically visits home for scholastic and humanitarian works. [email protected]