Some prominent lawyers in Lagos on Wednesday backed the extension of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
The lawyers, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the state of emergency should be retained to enable the government restore peace to the areas.
It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan on May 14, 2013, imposed the emergency rule on the three states experiencing the activities of insurgents.
Jonathan on Tuesday sent a request to the National Assembly seeking approval for an extension of the state of emergency.
A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said that the Nigerian military had not achieved much with the previous powers granted them to tackle the insurrection.
Sagay said the recent abduction of some students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno, was an indictment on the military.
He, however, urged the National Assembly to grant Jonathan’s request, adding that the military should be given another opportunity to deal with the situation.
Sagay also advised the president not to remove the state governors of the troubled states, as being suggested by some persons.
“People talking like that are ignorant and they thrive in gross unconstitutional acts. No power exists in the Nigerian Constitution for removal of governors because of the declaration of state of emergency,” he said.
Also speaking, Yinka Farounbi, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, called for a collaborative effort in addressing the security challenges in the states.
“The state of emergency should be extended but the Federal Government must work hand-in-hand with the various state governments to make sure the campaign against Boko Haram is sustained.
“As a start, the Federal Government should provide military protection for all schools, markets and other public infrastructure in those areas,’’ Farounbi said.
Another lawyer, Wale Ogunade, said the state of emergency should continue till the situation is brought under control.
Ogunade also advised Nigerian politicians to stop playing politics with the security challenges and work together toward bringing stability to the areas.
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