Grant presidential pardon to former police officer, Abba Kyari – Dalung to Nigerian govt

Former Sports Minister and Comrade General of the Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria, Solomon Dalung, has urged the federal government to grant a presidential pardon to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, describing his ongoing detention and trial as “a miscarriage of justice.”

In a statement issued on Monday, Dalung said it was deeply concerning that Kyari remains behind bars despite recent presidential pardons extended to convicted drug traffickers, fraudsters, kidnappers, and bandits.

He said the development reflects “a grave injustice and ridicule of the principle of fairness,” noting that it is “morally indefensible to continue the persecution of an officer whose only crime was his patriotic zeal to combat the same menace now being rewarded by the state.”

He argued that the wave of clemency and amnesty granted to notorious criminals has “emptied the moral and legal basis” for Kyari’s continued detention, adding that the ongoing prosecution represents “a double standard that undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.”

“Justice demands consistency, and equity demands that mercy must not be reserved for the guilty while punishment is sustained against the righteous,” Dalung said.

The former minister appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation to drop all charges against Kyari and secure his immediate release, citing the need for fairness, national healing, and reconciliation.

“Anything short of this will amount to a travesty of justice and a dangerous precedent that discourages public officers from dedicating themselves to the fight against crime,” the statement added.