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Tag: human rights abuses

  • Terrorism: Judge advocates enhanced accountability for war crimes, human rights abuses

    Terrorism: Judge advocates enhanced accountability for war crimes, human rights abuses

    The Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has advocated for enhanced accountability for war crimes and violations of human rights during peace operations.

    He also sought enhanced measures to win the confidence of the citizens to combat terrorism in the country.

    Justice Tsoho said this when he spoke on Tuesday, in Abuja, at a two-day symposium on Justice and Security organized by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

    Represented by Justice Binta Nyako who was among the judges in terrorism trials, Justice Tsohon said division of labour was essential to the security agencies and the judiciary for maintaining an effective and just society.

    She said: “The different scenarios of war crimes and the accountability needs to be taken into consideration. In this kind of scenario, we’re talking about military operations, law enforcement, issues of detention, criminal prosecution, and interaction and overlap of the functions of the various agents that are responsible for this security and peace.

    “Of course, we’re also talking about crimes within the operatives. Recently, we’ve had a lot of talks and hype about crimes being committed by personnel in the course of fighting or securing peace. So there is a challenge to authorities and then there is also the need for accountability by those in charge of securing peace and justice in particular regions.

    “Accountability for war crimes and grave violations of human rights is essentially not only for justice. It’s for everybody. We need to be accountable for infractions of human rights. Even in the course of war, there are fundamentals that have to be observed in the protection of human rights. We can’t just say because there is war, we now go and clear the whole of my village and kill everybody.

    “Division of labour between military operatives, law enforcement, detention, and criminal prosecution is essential for maintaining an effective and just society.

    “Each sector has distinct roles and responsibilities, shaped by legal frameworks that seek to uphold national security while protecting individual rights. The interplay between these areas must be managed carefully to ensure cooperation and harmony while also preventing encroachment on civil liberty.

    The jurist said the military and other security agencies needed to build the confidence of the people to enable them to get good and actionable information that will help them effectively fight terrorism.

    He said the use of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CTF) by the military in conflict areas was one of the ways of building people’s trust.

    Justice Tsohon said: “It is important that accountability is emphasized because you need to have the confidence of the people that you’re working with for them to be able even to be good informants to you, not informants to the insurgents. So there is a difference. Because you need to have a good information strategy.

    “These insurgents live among us. They are not spirits coming from the sky on the days of attacks. They are people who live within us.

    Read Also: AGF, Justice Tsoho seek enhanced application of ACJA provisions

    “So if you have good informant capacity within the populace – the confidence that the populace has in the security agents – it’s going to go a long way to help in this fight against insurgency.

    “I remember when we first started the Kainji trials, most people admitted to knowing or having knowledge of the activities of Boko Haram and did not report to security agencies. Why was this so? Because some of these insurgents are their relatives. In fact, they live in their homes. And if they did report to security agencies, then there is reprisal. So nobody reported.

    “But if they have confidence that they are going to be secured, then they will be able to tell the security agents. But otherwise, nobody will ever come out and say it.

    “So, there is a need for us to also operate within the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) that makes provisions for reintegration. It is also in the Terrorism Act. Reintegrating these people or even relocating these people to other communities where they can be reintegrated and live a normal life is essential. If they know that their families are going to be attacked, they won’t report. But if they know that their families will be secured elsewhere, then they will be more confident to be able to move and go and report.”

  • Human Rights Abuses: Amnesty International has exposed itself as a liar, says NGO.

    The New Initiative for Credible Leadership, NICREL has described the Amnesty International as a blatant liar following its various responses on issues that involves human rights abuses in the country.

    NICreL Executive Director, Steven Onwu who spoke with newsmen today Abuja said as a group, it will continue to applaud the efforts of the Nigerian military aimed at placing the interests of humanity above other considerations.

    Onwu said the group has been following proceedings of the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of The Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement given the crucial role that the exercise would play in deepening full observance and compliance with human rights requirement.

    He said, “the dedication with which we have followed the proceedings was informed by our understanding and acknowledgement that the issue of human rights in conflict situations is multifaceted.

    “The trend prior to the sitting of this panel has been for the focus to be on the rights of the aggressors who despite (possibly) committing heinous crimes have international organizations and their domestic branches canvassing the rights of groups and persons that engage in acts of terror, kidnapping, intimidation, extortion and other forms of harm to the civilian population and attacks on military and security personnel deployed to counter them.

    “Nowhere in the rendering are the rights of the victims – local populations and the security operatives that are killed – get mentioned.

    “NICreL has had course in the past to question the intentions of these fifth columnists pretending to be human rights monitoring organizations.

    “Our concerns at those times stemmed from the impact that their lies have on international support for counter-terrorism war in Nigeria and the negative pull the have on morale of soldiers that are sacrificing even their lives to keep the rest of the citizens safe.

    “A front liner among these fifth columnists is Amnesty International (AI), which most recently centered its existence on Nigeria. It ran a campaign of attrition against the Nigerian military and even took the unprecedented step of awarding media contracts to defend its reports, which have been found out to be nothing but a pack of orchestrated lies aimed at damaging the fighting capacity of Nigerian soldiers.

    “While NICreL had always been confident that its summations on AI captured the exact state of, the sitting of the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of The Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement has finally exposed the international organization for what it is, a massive scam that was contrived to undermine countries like Nigeria. This is despite the fact that AI had always boasted about sending soldiers and their commanding officers to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

    “It was therefore surreal that the same Amnesty International had its fifteen minutes of fame before the Presidential Panel but fortunately left no one in doubts that all it had ever done in the past was misleading the entire world. AI’s representatives before the panel had expect the usual practice where they are able to get away with lying with Power Point presentations that are produced from doctored pictures and videos; but the panel in this instance expressed the need for concrete evidence. This was evidence that Amnesty International is short of as it could not even point to the physical locations of the mass graves for which it had earlier claimed to have coordinates and satellite imaging.

    “Amnesty International’s poor performance at the panel where, it agreed to appear for the first time, to defend its numerous allegations against the Nigerian military is condemnable and completely irresponsible. It is one thing to have insistently aver that AI was lying but it is totally gutting as there is no justification for an organization that claims international pedigree to lie without remorse on this scale.
    NICrel can confidently, on the strength of the presentations made before the panel, which it monitored, declare that Amnesty International lied against the Nigerian authorities in all its previous reports and statements as the military have continued to monitor and discipline their own officers and personnel where the leadership gets any report of infractions.

    “We believe the military leadership under the current dispensation should be rather applauded by Amnesty International on the strength of the information at their disposal which is at sharp variance with the misleading reports they have repeatedly published but are now unable to prove before the panel. If AI is truly doing the right thing and fully appreciate the precarious situation that the country has been faced with in recent times, it will toe the path of honor and acknowledge the role played by the military from the proper perspective.

    “As a group that monitored the proceedings at the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of The Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement, from one location to the other, NICreL is confident that Nigerians will see reasons to further appreciate the military leadership and their efforts when the panel eventually makes its report known to members of the public and submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for action.

    “We salute the sustained evolution of the military as an institution that has continually placed the interest of humanity above every other consideration and its successes in the last two years, which we appeal should be sustained.

    “Finally, we call on patriotic Nigerians to institute legal actions against Amnesty International at the ICC to account for several Nigerians whose existence were cut short as a result of AI’s perverted intervention in Nigeria. Its client that it always defend have snuffed life out of too many innocent citizens for Nigerians to remain indiferent”he said

  • Knocks as Amnesty International fails to prove human rights abuses before Presidential Panel

    Human rights monitoring organization, Amnesty International, AI, came under fire as it testified before the Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of The Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement, after it emerged that it tried proving its earlier reports with manipulated videos and pictures before the panel.

    Amnesty International, led by Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN, appeared before the panel to demonstrate and prove to the panel human rights abuses which it had earlier published and circulated widely before Nigerians and members of the international community in an attempt to stop the military from fighting terrorism.

    The Nigerian Army team led by Professor Yemi George, SAN who cross-examined  Amnesty International’s researchers  at the tribunal on their methodology, said the entire report lacks any iota of credibility to be published in the first instance, if not for selfish motives.

    It was therefore a case of helplessness  for Amnesty International throughout the session as experts who appeared before the panel seem not to have either prepared the report or part of the investigation that produced the video and pictures being used by the organization against the military.‎

    The ongoing public sitting  briefly descended into exchange of heated words between members of the panel and the Amnesty International (AI) representatives.

    The brief rancour started when a member of the panel, Olawale Fapohunda asked the representatives of AI if they are aware that having access to restricted documents they copiously referred to in their report is an illegal act.

    To this, AI’s Senior Director for Research, Dr. Anna Neistat,  replied that if the panel is accusing the organization of committing any crime, the organization would like its corporate lawyer to be present.

    “If you insist AI should answer this question, it would be provided in writing after consulting with our organisation’s lawyer,” she added.

    Fapohunda earlier asked if in the over 55 years existence of AI, if there is any occasion where it was discovered that facts contained in their publications were found to be incorrect.

    “Yes, there are cases of minor errors discovered and in all these cases, they have been immediately corrected and rightly communicated. But none of these errors have ever affected any of the allegations we raised. We have extreme rigorous process before publishing our reports,” Neistat answered.

    However, when another member of the panel, Maj. Gen. Patrick Akem (Rtd) said he found it shocking that AI did not visit Maiduguri before publishing its report “Stars on their shoulder, blood on their hands”; counsel representing AI, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN) replied that the panel is already “telling us your result without any conclusion. You are already shocked and it sounds conclusive.”

    At this point, the Chairman of the panel, Sir Justice Biobele A. Georgewill intervened, assuring that although it is expected that there would be little altercation in such hearings, no single panel member will have a final say.

    “Please, ignore these exchanges, just let the panel conclude its investigation,” he said.

    The Chairman however asked AI how it expects the panel to go about investigating the allegations when AI did not provide specifics or present eye-witnesses.

    “Groups like us document our allegations to form a prima facie case for government to investigate. Our role is not to implicate any individual,” AI’s Director of Research and Advocacy for Africa, Netsanet Belay said.‎

    In an incident that further underscores Amnesty International’s growing loss of credibility in Nigeria and other parts of the world, the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) said it would be forced to kick the international NGO out of Nigeria if the Federal Government fails to expel it for its many atrocities against the country.

    SHAC said it takes particular exception to reports by Amnesty International like  “Blood on Their Hands,” and other reports aimed at undermining the ability of Nigerian military and security agencies to respond to security threats and protect citizens. It disclosed it would mobilize Nigerians to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reject the NGO’s position while ensuring that Amnesty International is compelled to pay the necessary compensation for the damages done to the image of the country.

    The video, pictures and submissions were earlier discredited by the Nigerian human rights and humanitarian organization, SHAC, which paraded nine International experts on human rights and conflict resolution.
    SHAC’s team included Ambassador Lumumba D’Aping, a one-time Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations, David Falt, Founder of Preventive Diplomacy in Geneva, Mary Johnson, a practicing human rights lawyer in the United States and United Kingdom. It also has a lawyer, Edward Omaga , Professor Shuaibu Danfulani of the University of Abuja and Dr. Ifure Ataifure of the Centre for International Strategic Studies, Abuja.
    The local NGO which submitted 3 memos on the Nigerian State’s  response to threats to humanity had monitored proceedings of the panel since its inauguration including a visit to the north east, south east and south-south geo-political zones of the country  where its experts assessed the threats being faced by the people of Nigeria.
    Lead Counsel to SHAC, Edward Omaga esq whilst speaking to pressmen after the sitting said Amnesty International should apologize to the Nigerian people for the various unsubstantiated allegations it published as reports in online and electronic media even before approaching the panel and the International Criminal Court (ICC) without a single proof to back up its claim.

    He warned that “failure by Amnesty International to do this within 14 days will force SHAC to institute an action against them at the International Criminal Court same way they did against the Nigerian authorities as their motive has clearly been exposed by their poor outings before this panel in Nigeria.

    “AI has constituted itself into a court where the same party acts as a judge, a victim and a defendant in its own case. This must not be tolerated any further anywhere close to Nigeria soil and the attempts to discredit the Federal Government in protecting its citizens has surely failed,” he stated.
    Omaga also said “Nigerians will not forgive Amnesty International for trying to twist the successes of the anti-terrorism campaigns against those whose blood was used as sacrifices for us to have the current peace and tranquility in the country.”
    He called on genuine NGOs and international partners to support Nigeria in addressing the humanitarian issues in the north east and other parts of Nigeria and not to add to the woes of the people in any way.

  • Human rights abuses: Global body calls for speedy implementation of reports

    The Global Amnesty Watch, an international humanitarian organisation has endorsed the report of the Special Board of Inquiry (SBOI), which investigated the alleged war crimes by the Nigerian Army personnel in the fight against insurgency in the North East and Internal Security Operations in the South Eastern part of the country.

    Recall that the Nigerian Army had said on Thursday said that it was studying the report of a special panel that investigated allegations of human rights abuses against the army.

    The panel headed by a retired Major General, A.T. Jibrin, submitted its report to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai last week at the army headquarters in Abuja.

    Mrs Helen Adesola, Nigerian Representative of GAW, said it was clearly established that all the allegations of rights abuses, extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances were mere concoctions from the imaginations of those that have been issuing inaccurate reports.

    According to her, “Other instances of documented abuses were transposed from a previous era to give the impression that the cases in question were recently committed.

    She added, “The report, which should be given the widest publicity possible, should now put to rest the controversies that had raged around the efforts by Nigerian military authorities to secure the country and keep citizens safe from terrorists and other life threatening criminals.

    “The revelations that certain unauthorised organisations were able to obtain classified military documents and signals through leaks is one that should keep the world worried as it implies staffers of such organisations could have been engaged in passing vital Army strategies and troop movement to terrorists, making it difficult to protect civilians.

    “We have noted calls for independent investigation and further probes suggested by certain organisations. The Global Amnesty Watch however wishes to caution the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government of Nigeria to resist the temptation of being drawn into a popularity contest of pleasing smaller groups to the detriment of the larger population,” her statement added.

    The GAW urged the military authority not compromise the interest of the people in the areas affected by terrorism, insurgency and other crimes because they want to be compliant with the request of a narrow spectrum of activists.

    She added, “The response for an independent investigation or commission of inquiry must be realistically balanced with the safety and security of citizens since such exercise can compromise national security.

    “Nigeria must never lose sight of the fact that the Army is its institution as a sovereign nation and no amount of blackmail should force it to surrender state institutions to fifth columnists especially in this era that terrorists have infiltrated the ranks and file of various military which the Nigerian Army has successfully insulated itself against.”

  • U.S. should aid those who fight terror, not abet human rights abuses

    U.S. should aid those who fight terror, not abet human rights abuses

    IN HIS recent address at West Point, President Obama doubled down on his administration’s strategy of combating terrorism and other security threats through “partnerships” with other armies. Describing the strategy as an alternative to “invading every country that harbors terrorist networks,” the president said he would ask Congress to appropriate $5 billion for a Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund to “train, build capacity and facilitate partner countries on the front lines.”

    There’s nothing particularly new about Mr. Obama’s initiative: 158 countries were already recipients of U.S. military training in 2012, and about $15 billion has been spent annually in recent years on security assistance through the State and Defense departments. Nor is the strategy much in question; stronger local forces are essential to countering the proliferating affiliates of al-Qaeda. But the president’s request, which was sent to Congress at the end of last month, nevertheless raises some disturbing questions.

    One is what to do when local armies are not up to the task of defeating al-Qaeda, even with U.S. training and help. That was the case in Mali, where a U.S.-trained officer led a coup against a democratic government and U.S.-supplied and -drilled army units crumbled in the face of an offensive by ethnic and Islamist insurgents. Now Iraq’s U.S.-trained forces have allowed much of the country to be overrun by al-Qaeda and Sunni tribal fighters and appear to lack the firepower to prevent the consolidation of a terrorist-ruled state.

    The capture of Mali’s capital by al-Qaeda was averted only by a quick deployment of French troops in early 2013. Mr. Obama’s strategy doesn’t make clear how similar threats can be managed. If the new al-Qaeda state in Iraq and Syria cannot be defeated by local forces, will the United States allow it to remain?

    A related problem concerns the behavior of foreign units that receive U.S. training and funding. If U.S.-backed forces commit human rights abuses, the damage is twofold: The fight against insurgents is compromised, and so is support for alliance with the United States.

    Congress sought to deal with this problem in 1997 by passing the Leahy amendment, a provision named after Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that prohibits aid to units and individuals thought to be involved in gross human rights violations. The legislation has had a far-reaching effect: In 2011, aid was withheld from 1,766 individuals or units in 46 countries, and State Department staff vetted some 200,000 individuals and units, according to the New York Times. Senior U.S. military officials have told Congress that the restrictions helped improve major U.S. aid programs in Colombia and Afghanistan. Some countries, such as Bangladesh, have taken steps to punish offenders in order to win a restoration of aid.

    Such vetting ought to be built into the new partnership program. But the administration is seeking to neuter the Leahy amendment by giving the defense secretary the authority to disregard it by asserting that “it is in the national security interest to do so.” In fact, allowing aid to flow to foreign military units that commit major human rights crimes cannot be in the U.S. interest in any circumstances. Congress should reject the ­exemption.

     

    – Washington Post

     

  • ‘Intensify action against human rights abuses’

    ‘Intensify action against human rights abuses’

    Worried by the increasing rate at which people’s rights are abused, discussants at a lecture/seminar on people’s rights have agreed that rights groups should heighten their efforts towards checking the excesses of government and its agencies that pay less attention to people’s rights.

    This, they said, could be achieved by sensitising the masses in a bid to awaken their consciousness on what constitutes their rights and when the rights are abused.

    The lecture/seminar, which held at Jordan Schools, Isheri-Osun, Lagos State, was organised by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Isheri-Osun unit as part of its annual human rights activities. The theme of the lecture was “Man and His Inalienable Rights in a Democratic Society.”

    In her welcome address, the coordinator of the unit, Comrade Queen Chinazo Ifechigha said the “purpose of the seminar was to sensitise and educate our people on what constitutes their rights and how to know when their rights are abused.

    Comrade Ifechigha reeled off the committee’s activities to include political sensitisation; educating people on their inalienable rights and responsibilities to humanity, their community and country; women empowerment; community policing as well as fighting for the rights of the oppressed and exploited in the society.”

    She further said CDHR is a non-profit-making and non-governmental organisation (NGO), even as she solicited assistance from well-meaning individuals and organisations in the areas of office accommodation, furnishing, a bus, stationery and other items to enable it to render effective service to humanity.

    Delivering his lecture entitled “Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Problems and Solutions,” Mr Pat Anyadubalu, a lawyer, commended the CDHR for its consistent and persistent agitations towards emergence of democracy in Nigeria.

    He said organisations like the CDHR are relevant in a democratic society.

    According to him, Sections 33-46 of the Constitution enumerated some of the Fundamental Rights of the citizens. These are right to life; right to respect for dignity of his person; right to personal liberty; right to fair hearing; right to privacy of citizens, homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications; right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; right to freedom of expressions including freedom to hold opinions, receive and impart ideas and information without interference; right to freedom of assembly and association; right to freedom of movement; right to freedom from discrimination as a result of sex, place of origin, religion or political opinion and right to acquire and own immoveable property anywhere in Nigeria, among others.

    He said ignorance is the main cause of human rights abuses in the society, saying “there is still high levels of illiteracy in Nigeria so much so that many citizens are ignorant of their rights and do not even know how to pursue those rights.

    In his lecture entitled “Human Rights, Democracy and Freedom: Issues and Challenges,” Comrade (Dr) Ifechigha, C.O., a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Theory, University of Lagos traced the origin of Nigeria’s human rights organisations to the late 1980s, though he said the real struggle for democracy and good governance is linked to the students’ struggle of 1989.

    Comrade Ifechigha disclosed that the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights was formed in April, 1989 in response to the detention of Femi Aborishade, who was held under the obnoxious Decree 2 (State Security Detention of Persons) of 1984 enacted by then Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    He listed some of the activities of CDHR to include rendering legal aid and assistance to indigent victims of human rights abuses, human rights campaigns and education which encompasses workshops, seminars and publications. Comrade Ifechigha said the main challenges to democracy, human rights and the rule of law are deepening poverty, threats to human security, infringements of individual rights and impediments to the enjoyment of fundamental freedom.

    Speaking on “Respect for Human Rights: A Gateway for Peace and Justice in a Democratic Society,” Rev. (Dr) Titus K. Oyeyemi, founding President/CEO of African Projects/Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives said natural law teaches that we must have respect for one another; our neighbours and our environments which may include the fauna and the floral.

    Dr Oyeyemi opined that “when rights are denied, self-esteem diminishes and potential undermined. People could become both victims and students of personal violence.”

  • ‘Intensify action against human rights abuses’

    ‘Intensify action against human rights abuses’

    Worried by the increasing rate at which people’s rights are abused, discussants at a lecture/seminar on people’s rights have agreed that rights groups should heighten their efforts towards checking the excesses of government and its agencies that pay less attention to people’s rights.

    This, they said, could be achieved by sensitising the masses in a bid to awaken their consciousness on what constitutes their rights and when the rights are abused.

    The lecture/seminar, which held at Jordan Schools, Isheri-Osun Lagos State, was organised by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Isheri-Osun unit, as part of its annual human rights activities. The theme of the lecture was “Man and his inalienable rights in a democratic society.”

    In her welcome address, the coordinator of the unit, Comrade Queen Chinazo Ifechigha said the “purpose of the seminar was to sensitise and educate our people on what constitutes their rights and how to know when their rights are abused.

    Comrade Ifechigha reeled off the committee’s activities to include political sensitisation; educating people on their inalienable rights and responsibilities to humanity, their community and country; women empowerment; community policing as well as fighting for the rights of the oppressed and exploited in the society.”

    She further said CDHR is a non-profit-making and non-governmental organisation (NGO), even as she solicited assistance from well-meaning individuals and organisations in the areas of office accommodation, furnishing, a bus, stationery and other items to enable it to render effective service to humanity.

    Delivering his lecture entitled “Your legal rights and responsibilities: Problems and solutions,” Mr Pat Anyadubalu, a lawyer, commended the CDHR for its consistent and persistent agitations towards emergence of democracy in Nigeria.

    He said organisations like the CDHR are relevant in a democratic society.

    According to him, Sections 33-46 of the Constitution enumerated some of the Fundamental Rights of the citizens. These are right to life; right to respect for dignity of his person; right to personal liberty; right to fair hearing; right to privacy of citizens, homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications; right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; right to freedom of expressions including freedom to hold opinions, receive and impart ideas and information without interference; right to freedom of assembly and association; right to freedom of movement; right to freedom from discrimination as a result of sex, place of origin, religion or political opinion and right to acquire and own immoveable property anywhere in Nigeria, among others.

    He said ignorance is the main cause of human rights abuses in the society, saying “there is still high levels of illiteracy in Nigeria so much so that many citizens are ignorant of their rights and do not even know how to pursue those rights.

    In his lecture titled: “Human rights, Democracy and freedom: Issues and challenges,” Comrade Ifechigha, C.O., a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Theory, University of Lagos, traced the origin of human rights organisations to the late 1980s, though he said the real struggle for democracy and good governance is linked to the students’ struggle of 1989.

    Comrade Ifechigha disclosed that the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights was formed in April, 1989 in response to the detention of Femi Aborishade, who was held under the obnoxious Decree 2 (State Security Detention of Persons) of 1984 enacted by then Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    He listed some of the activities of CDHR to include rendering legal aid and assistance to indigent victims of human rights abuses, human rights campaigns and education which encompasses workshops, seminars and publications. Comrade Ifechigha said the main challenges to democracy, human rights and the rule of law are deepening poverty, threats to human security, infringements of individual rights and impediments to the enjoyment of fundamental freedom.

    Speaking on “Respect for Human Rights: A Gateway for Peace and Justice in a Democratic Society,” Rev.Titus K. Oyeyemi, founding President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of African Projects/Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives said natural law teaches that we must have respect for one another; our neighbours and our environments which may include the fauna and the floral.

    Dr Oyeyemi said: “When rights are denied, self-esteem diminishes and potential undermined. People could become both victims and students of personal violence.”

    On the place and functions of civil societies in democratisation, he said: “Civil societies help in ensuring state-building and peace-building.