Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, warning that excessively stringent bail conditions could undermine constitutional safeguards and erode public confidence in the justice system.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the refusal of the Federal High Court to review El-Rufai’s bail conditions as troubling, arguing that conditions which are practically impossible to meet amount to a “constructive denial of bail.”
The former vice president maintained that while courts have the discretion to impose bail conditions, such powers must be exercised reasonably and in line with the principles of justice.
“The law is settled that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty. Bail exists to preserve that constitutional protection. It was never designed to become a sophisticated instrument for punishment before conviction,” Atiku said.
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