Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has recounted his experience in detention under the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, highlighting the dangers of limited legal awareness.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sani described being imprisoned at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos in 1995 over allegations of treason and an attempt to overthrow the Abacha government.
He explained that while in detention, he wrote to prominent activists, including Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and Beko Ransome-Kuti, seeking assistance for his release and that of other detainees.
Sani noted that Fawehinmi and Falana, both legal practitioners, handled the situation cautiously by organizing protests without publicizing the letters.
However, Ransome-Kuti chose to disclose the correspondence at a press conference in Lagos.
According to Sani, this 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,” he stated.
Sani expressed regret over the development, noting that Ransome-Kuti endured imprisonment due to the disclosure, as both men shared years of hardship together.
Drawing lessons from the experience, he stressed the importance of basic legal knowledge, warning that ignorance of the law can expose individuals to avoidable risks.
“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, cautioning that careless actions or public statements often create legal problems for many people unknowingly.