The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd Justin Portal Welby @JustinWelby has responded to an open letter SERAP urging him to use his good offices and leadership and his friendship with President @MBuhari to prevail on him to obey court orders...
....most recently involving activists Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare who remain in arbitrary detention despite a court order for their release.
SERAP had in the letter to Archbishop Welby expressed serious concerns about the disturbing trends by state governments and federal government to use the court as a tool to suppress citizens’ human rights.
Responding on behalf of the Archbishop through an email last night, Dominic Goodall, the Chief Correspondence Officer at the Lambeth Palace, said: “Thank you for your recent letter. Much as he would like to, the Archbishop is unable to respond personally in detail,....
... so I have been asked to reply to you on his behalf.”
Goodall’s email read in part: “Thank you for taking the time to share your comments & concerns on this matter, which have been noted. Please be assured that I will communicate your concerns to the Archbishop & his staff team,so that they are aware of your concerns."
We are very delighted that our letter and the concerns that it raises have caught the attention of the Archbishop.
Given his public record for justice & human rights,we have absolutely no doubt that @JustinWelby will prevail on President @MBuhari to obey not just the court order for the release of Sowore and Bakare but all court orders
But it should never have reached this level, as the government ought to have obeyed court orders as a matter of routine
