Senator Sani Urges Nigerians To Embrace Legal Awareness, Says Ignorance Is Not An Excuse

Former lawmaker and rights activist, Shehu Sani, has recounted his experience during detention under the late military regime of Sani Abacha, using the episode to stress the importance of legal awareness among citizens.

Sani who shared the account in a post on Thursday on his Facebook timeline, recalled that in 1995, while detained at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison over allegations of treason and an attempt to overthrow the Abacha administration, he wrote letters to three prominent activists: Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and Beko Ransome-Kuti.

According to him, Fawehinmi and Falana, both seasoned lawyers and human rights advocates, chose not to make the contents of his letter public but instead organised protests demanding his release and that of other detainees.

However, Ransome-Kuti, a medical doctor and activist, took a different approach by convening a press conference in Lagos where he publicly disclosed the contents of the letter and mobilised a nationwide protest calling for their freedom.

The action, Sani noted, led to the immediate arrest of Ransome-Kuti, who was subsequently detained and charged as an accessory to treason. Both men were later sentenced to life imprisonment and spent about four years in detention.

They regained their freedom following the death of Abacha and the subsequent transition led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, who granted them release.

Reflecting on the incident, Sani expressed regret over the consequences faced by Ransome-Kuti, noting that both endured years of hardship and torture in prison.

He, however, drew a lesson from the experience, emphasizing that while not everyone may be a legal professional, having a basic understanding of the law is essential.

He warned that ignorance of legal implications in public actions, statements, or publications could lead to unintended consequences, stressing that many individuals unknowingly create problems for themselves through careless decisions.