The lawyers alleged that the DSS had already publicly tagged them as counsel to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to pave the way for phantom charges against them. Abuja-based human rights lawyers have accused the Director General of the State Security Service, (SSS) of trying to frame them up on terrorism charges.
Recall that the lawyers had filed contempt of court charges against the DSS over the continued detention of Godwin Emefiele.
The lawyers alleged that the DSS had already publicly tagged them as counsel to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to pave the way for phantom charges against them.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Spokesperson of the lawyers, Abdulazeez Tijani Ahmed, alleged that the security agency is planning to frame the lawyers as terrorists, following a viral tweet by the DSS in its official handle in reaction to the contempt of court processes filed by the lawyers.
In the tweet, the DSS was quoted as saying; “Charge and bail, overzealous uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara mobilizes other like-minded lawyers against DG, SS. Futile Efforts. Well, Nigerians, beware! This is in bad faith. Transferred aggression.
“A Biafran Republic agitator and outlawed IPOB counsel defending the suspended CBN governor. Is IPOB defending one of theirs???? What a contradiction…..hmmm…what’s the connection? May Maxwell be properly educated on points of law, please.”
The lawyers claimed that the tweet had now gone viral adding that “at about 6am when we met this morning, the tweet was still there on the handle of the SSS”.
“This was about 17 hours after it had been posted and had really gone viral. At that time, it had been seen by about 2 million people globally, generated over 3600 comments, retweeted almost 5000 times and liked more than 2500 times.
“The tweets which have been greeted by national outrage and condemnation is still on the handle of the security agency.
The lawyers while expressing trauma following the tweets, listed several cases of disobedience to Court orders by the DSS boss, Yusuf Magaji Bichi involving Igbo people and asserted that Bichi must be suffering from “Igbophobia”.
“In the same vein, the tweet by the SSS has also exposed it very clearly to the world that the persecution Godwin Emefiele suffers today is largely due to the ethnic profiling as directed by the DG SSS.
“The fact that Emefiele is Igbo and attained the height of CBN Governor to Bichi is an abomination, hence his resolve to see that Emefiele is pulled down because, to him, all Igbo are IPOB/ESN Terrorists,” the group said.
Tijani also alleged that it has become clear that Bichi already declared war on the lawyers and Igbo people, alleging that Emefiele’s ordeal is largely due to ethnic and political reasons.
The lawyers renewed their call for the sack of Bichi from office for what they termed open hatred against an ethnic group.
They also alleged that the attitude of the DG, DSS would tarnish the image of President Bola Tinubu and thanked the public for the overwhelming public condemnation that trailed the tweet.
Meanwhile, the lawyers said they have resolved to write to the United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom and United States of America governments, Tinubu, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), National Security Adviser (NSA) and to also approach the court for the enforcement of their rights.