Shehu Sani reflects on his Abacha-era imprisonment, warns that being unaware of the law can have severe consequences

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Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has recounted his detention experience under the regime of late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, warning Nigerians on the dangers of limited legal awareness.

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Sani, in a Facebook post on Thursday, narrated how he was imprisoned at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, in 1995 over allegations of treason and an attempt to overthrow the Abacha government.

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According to him, while in detention, he wrote letters to prominent activists, including Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and Beko Ransome-Kuti, seeking their support for his release and that of other detainees.

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He explained that while Fawehinmi and Falana, both legal practitioners, handled the situation cautiously by organising protests without publicising the letters, Ransome-Kuti chose to disclose the correspondence during a press conference in Lagos.

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The former lawmaker said the action led to Ransome-Kuti’s arrest and prosecution as an accessory to treason, resulting in both men being sentenced to life imprisonment.

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“We spent four years in prison until Abacha died, after which Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar granted us freedom,” Sani stated.

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He expressed regret over the development, noting that Ransome-Kuti endured imprisonment due to the decision, as both men went through years of hardship together.

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Drawing lessons from the experience, Sani stressed the importance of basic legal knowledge, warning that ignorance of the law could expose individuals to avoidable risks.

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“The moral of this message is that you don’t have to be a lawyer, but you need basic knowledge of the law to guide what you do, say, or post publicly,” he added.

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He cautioned that many people unknowingly create legal problems for themselves through careless actions and public statements.

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