Former Nigerian senator and activist, Shehu Sani, has shared a powerful reflection from his time in detention during the military era, shedding light on the risks associated with activism and the importance of legal awareness.
In a post shared on Facebook, Sani recounted his experience in 1995 when he was imprisoned at Kiri Kiri prison for treason and attempting to overthrow the regime of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha. According to him, while in detention, he wrote letters to three prominent figures—renowned human rights lawyers Gani Fawehinmi and Femi Falana, as well as medical doctor and activist Beko Ransom-Kuti.
Sani explained that while Fawehinmi and Falana chose to handle the situation discreetly, organizing protests to demand his release and that of others without publicly disclosing his letter, Beko Ransom-Kuti took a different approach. He revealed the contents of the letter during a press conference in Lagos and went further to mobilize a nationwide protest.
However, this decision came with severe consequences. Ransom-Kuti was arrested shortly after and charged as an accessory to treason. He was subsequently detained alongside Sani, and both men were sentenced to life imprisonment. They remained behind bars for four years, enduring harsh prison conditions, until the death of Abacha led to their release under General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Reflecting on the incident, Sani expressed regret over the role his letter played in Ransom-Kuti’s imprisonment. He noted that while the lawyers understood the legal implications of publicizing such information, the medical doctor may not have fully grasped the risks involved….See More
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