A respected northern elder statesman and fellow of several professional institutes, Dr. Zanna Hassan Boguma (FCIPDM, FWIP), has once again spoken out against what he describes as the deepening rot of selective justice in Nigeria’s judicial system, citing the prolonged detention of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari as a national stain that questions the integrity of due process.
In a statement titled “Selective Justice and the Silence of Conscience: The Unending Ordeal of Abba Kyari”, Dr. Boguma said he felt compelled, despite not being a legal expert, to raise concern over what he called the unfair and unexplained detention of the celebrated police officer who once spearheaded the country’s most effective anti-kidnapping and counterterrorism operations.
According to him, “months have passed, yet Abba Kyari remains behind bars, without bail, without trial, and without fairness.”
Boguma recounted Kyari’s years of outstanding service as head of the Inspector-General’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), under whose leadership numerous high-profile criminals, kidnappers, cultists, and terrorists were apprehended nationwide.
He noted that Kyari’s efforts were instrumental in drastically reducing bomb attacks in Maiduguri and parts of the North-East during the height of insurgency.
“Many Nigerians are alive today because Kyari and his team stood between them and terror,” he stated, lamenting that such a man now languishes in detention, “forgotten, unheard, and unprotected.”
Dr. Boguma raised serious concerns about what he described as double standards in Nigeria’s justice system, observing that some of the suspects Kyari arrested have been freed or granted bail, while he and four other police officers remain in custody years later on what he termed “a completely bailable allegation.”
“What kind of justice punishes those who protect the law but frees those who break it?” he asked rhetorically. “If the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ truly applies, then Abba Kyari deserves equal treatment under the Constitution.”
The elder statesman also expressed disappointment at the silence of Northern leaders, political, traditional, and religious, who once praised Kyari’s heroism but have now withdrawn their voices when he needs them most.
He drew comparisons with how other regions have rallied behind their own during legal battles, citing the Yoruba support for Sunday Igboho and the Igbo solidarity for Nnamdi Kanu, as well as other advocacy efforts extended to accused persons from the South-East and South-South.
“Where are our leaders now that a son of the North, who risked his life for Nigeria, is suffering in silence?” he asked. “Their quietness is not fairness; it is a failure of conscience.”
Dr. Boguma urged the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Human Rights Commission to review Kyari’s case immediately, emphasizing that indefinite detention without resolution amounts to persecution, not justice.
“If he is guilty, let the court decide transparently. But his continued incarceration without trial is an affront to the ideals of justice and the dignity of service,” he insisted.
He further called for Kyari’s immediate release or, at the very least, his right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
Concluding his statement, Boguma warned that Nigeria risks discouraging patriotic service if those who risk their lives for the nation are left to suffer injustice.
“A nation that abandons its heroes sends a dangerous message to those still serving,” he wrote.
“Abba Kyari’s ordeal is not about one man, it is about the soul of justice in Nigeria. History will judge not only those who orchestrated his suffering but also those who kept silent while it happened.”
By Folake Sokoya
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