A total of 31 lawyers have indicated interest in representing Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police who was suspended in connection with a $1.1 million scam involving Ramon Abbas a.k.a Hushpuppi, a self-confessed fraudster.
Barrister Bappah Salisu, who spoke on behalf of a group of attorneys from the country’s 19 northern states, revealed this in an Abuja statement on Wednesday, August 11.
The legal professionals claimed their decision to provide free legal services to Kyari was in reaction to the Coalition of Northern Groups’ recent request for the protection of his fundamental rights following an indictment by a US court.
According to him, the FBI attempted to extradite Kyari, a former Commander of the Police Intelligence Response Team, to the United States to face criminal charges, but there were significant procedural flaws bordering on international procedure.
“We would raise questions involving the possibility of breaches to Kyari’s fundamental rights entrenched in Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right which essentially state that every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person and every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard.
This comprises: the right to an appeal to competent national organs against acts of violating his fundamental rights as recognized and guaranteed by conventions, laws, regulations and customs in force.
The right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court or tribunal; the right to defence, including the right to be defended by counsel of his choice; the right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court or tribunal,” he said.