By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Jan 9 1998 (IPS)

The Nigerian government’s parade before the public of traditional rulers and public opinion leaders who have condemned those arrested last December for plotting a coup, may adversely affect their fate, lawyers and political analysts say.

Worried by a series of recent statements by traditional leaders, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has issued a statement calling on the government to put a halt to statements in the media by traditional leaders and others, who are issuing a guilty verdict before the official investigations end.

“The NBA feels scandalised and embarrassed that for such a society as ours, people in high places, such as traditional rulers, military administrators and senior government officials could trivalise the fundamental rights of citizens by their utterances and outright condemnation of the alleged coup plotters, without their having first gone through the process of law,” the NBA, Ikeja Branch, said in a statement.

Also, “pleading for leniency, clemency and forgiveness as some have been doing, presupposes that a guilty verdict has been returned even before they (the detained persons) have had the opportunity to be tried by the process of law,” the lawyers added.

According to one political analyst, who declined to be named, this is the “first time that the government is involving citizens in condemning the arrested persons by showing selected civilians, especially traditional rulers, military officers and media executives video tapes of the alleged coup plot while investigations are still going on.”

In late December, several traditional rulers watched in Abuja, the seat of government, a video of the alleged coup. Soon after, Rufus Adejuigbe, traditional ruler of Ado-Ekiti, capital of the newly created Ekiti State, read a prepared speech in which he condemned the alleged coup plot.

“From what we have heard from audio records and images of the preliminary investigations, we wish to condemn the dastardly act conceived and attempted by the plotters already arrested…,” Adejuigbe said.

Eleven Nigerians — 10 top military officers who had served as key ministers in General Sani Abacha’s government and one civilian — were arrested last month for plotting to overthrow the military regime.

One of those arrested was Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former Communications Minister, who comes from Lagos State. Adeyinka Oyekan, the traditional ruler of Lagos, also recently came out against the alleged plotters at a public forum and stated that they deserved no clemency or pity.

A group of opinion leaders, industrialists, politicians and retired military officers were invited to Abuja this week to watch video tapes of the coup plotters’ alleged confession.

According to Bolu Adedipe, an opinion leader in the Western State of Ondo who attended the showing: “Eight video tapes were shown in which the (alleged) principal actors confessed to having been involved in the aborted coup plot”.

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi this week told African diplomats in Abuja that some foreign diplomatic missions, which he did not name, had colluded with the “coup plotters”.

“The actual details of this involvement is being investigated,” he said.

Ikimi named Gen. Oladipo Diya, who was Abacha’s second-in- command, as the principal actor in the plot. “The idea to overthrow the present administration by violent means was hatched and meticulously pursued … under the leadership of Lt.Gen. Oladipo Diya over a period of the last three months, commencing approximately in September last year,” Ikimi said .

The minister announced that the suspects would be tried in accordance with the Treason and Other Offences Act of 1986. Ikimi said the suspects would have ample opportunity to defend themselves and obtain, if they desired, legal representation from military lawyers in accordance with the law. Persons found guilty under the Act face the death penalty.

Col. Sam Ewang, military administrator of the western state of Ogun, Gen. Diya’s home state, said Nigeria’s religious leaders might be the next set of opinion leaders to watch the video and audio tapes of the “coup plot”.

Addressing religious leaders in Abeokuta the state capital, Ewang said the tapes would enable the clerics to know the level of involvement of the suspects now in detention and convince “doubting Thomases” on the authenticity of the alleged coup attempt.

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