Security agencies shouldn’t operate outside the law –Gowon

A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has said the arrest of the judges can be a threat to democracy and warned the Federal Government against allowing security agencies to operate outside their mandate.

He urged the government to give directives to security operatives not to go outside the laws of the land.

The former Head of State spoke with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday ahead of the 20th anniversary of ‘‘Nigeria Prays’’, a prayer movement for the country, scheduled for October 15 at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

Gowon said, “It is a serious thing that judges could be arrested. By law, you cannot just arrest anybody just like that. There should have been a proper way of doing it.

“Honestly, it is a serious thing and I hope that the government would give directives to the operatives not to go outside the precepts and the law because if the situation is mishandled, it can be a threat to democracy.

“But you can really do something to make sure that it does not do further harm than it has done so far.”