I am torn between defending freedom and the protection of truth.Both do not seem to cohabit,convincingly on social media where anyone with the cheapest smart phone automatically becomes a media practitioner,dishing out ‘news’ at the speed of light,and,in the process, spreading falsehood that puts mud in the face of many an innocent man.Thus,those who seek to find a way around the new-found freedom by our new generation of purveyors of news may not totally be wrong,after all,even when we must strive to put a leech on the neck of this dog that threatens our liberty.But by our individual conduct,what we do with our liberty may well encourage the stalking of tyranny.Sambo Dasuki case provides a ready reference to how irresponsible many commentators on social media can be,in their unbridled sensationalism .Just to be ‘the first with the news’. To this end all manner of ‘confessional statements’ are coming on board,with many of the claims as ridiculous as you can imagine the stupidity of the harbingers.We have heard of one of them of having ‘confessed’ to have spent some #4. 1b from money meant for arms purchase on ‘prayer sessions’ for Goodluck Jonathan re-election bid .You see,I am worried about the hype behind this so-called confessional statements of the accused persons,especially as they are being sensationalized.We may be setting them up for the ‘hang man’,in the name of ‘fighting corruption’,even when they are being unfairly treated.The method of tyranny is simple : get your target victims ‘convicted’ by the hysterics of mob trial, then chosen judges will do the judicial hanging in the open court.This is why I insist that all these so-called confessions by the arrested men,with respect to the arms deal are sponsored disinformation,trusting on our gullibility to help spread the lies of confession.It once happened in this country under a similar circumstance of collective anger against a political system that left us stranded.
In 1983 a coup that ended the 2nd republic took place,Mohammadu Buhari emerged as the Head of the military junta that sacked Shehu Shagari presidency. Then began a campaign against corruption,Ordinarily,there was nothing wrong in that as a regime agenda.But there was a hidden plot to it,It sold out series of disinformation to the media about many of the detained politicians,as it painted them in lurid colors,just as it searched for false witnesses against them.The governors of LOOBO states,on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN) were prime targets in this evil plot against the innocents by the junta.Many so-called confessional statements were splashed on the front pages of newspapers which portrayed Michael Ajasin of Ondo State,Bola Ige of Oyo state and Bisi Onabanjo of Ogun as having confessed to demanding and obtaining bribe from a construction company that constructed Great Nigeria House,a property own by the Oodua conglomerate.It was a media trial that was set to succeed,but for the intervention of Chief Obafemi Awolowo,the leader of UPN who made the world to know that no such confession took place,as no one had,at the time of the media reports on such ‘confessions’,spoken or interrogated any of the detained former governors.And Awolowo challenged the tyrants residing in Dodan Barracks to avail the public of the transcripts of the detainees confessional statements.For his audacity to look falsehood in the face,and spit into it, the Asiwaju of Yoruba got his home ransacked,his Ikene home town put under siege of army of occupation and his International passports seized,thus preventing the old man from going on his annual medical check up.As expected tyranny fought back,but truth was unshakeable
While we all must agree to fight corruption,head long,it is also important,if we cherish our democracy,to insist that due process must be followed.And media trial of accused persons is no way to seek justice,both for the state and the accused persons .Let all ‘confessions’ be heard in the open court as enjoined by our legal system
