The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Justice

  • Rights activist: justice will prevail in Edo

    Rights activist: justice will prevail in Edo

    A  social critic, Donald Inwalomhe, has said that justice will prevail at the tribunal hearing petition on the last year’s governorship election in Edo State.

    He said the comments of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate,Major-General Charles Airhiavbere, and other PDP chieftains in the media would not change the course of justice.

    Inwalomhe said the judiciary will never neglect the path of justice in the state.

    In a statement, the activist warned agsint rumour peddling, urging hired writers to realise that the partisan interests they were defending may not be in the interest of democracy. He maintained that PDP cannot get victory that has eluded it through the ballot box on the pages of newspapers. He said the unguarded comments may be subjudice.

    Inwalomhe said that Governor Adams Oshiomhole was the peoples’ choice, advising the PDP to prepare for future elections.

    He added: “My question is this, when Airhiavbere and Afejuku knew Oshiomhole wasn’t qualified for the election, why did he not challenge him at the initial stage at the High Court, so as not to allow INEC waste it’s funds conducting the elections in July 14, 2012.

    “Section 31of the Electoral Act 2006, it empowers Airhiavbere and his co-travelers to challenge Oshiomhole in a High Court. What stopped them?

    “In line with the same section as above, INEC verification committee of candidates’ particulars came to Benin City to do their job, where was Airhiavbere? What stopped him from raising this issue of certificate? What prevented him from proceeding to court? The law is clear and unambiguous on these issues.

    “Oshiomhole presented his Primary School testimonial, Modern School Certificate, Diploma certificate from Ruskin, NIPPS and Zaria and was validated by Prof. Agbebaku at the tribunal when he testified that he was Oshiomhole’s classmate, what else does the PDP candidate want?”

    My consolation is that they are, however, convinced that Oshiomhole won the election but abandoned those contestation in court for certificate issue. Again, they got it all wrong; they should seek redress at the normal courts.

    I want to advise Airhiavbere and his co-travelers such as Afejuku, Aigbekan, Osaze Ijesuorobo among others to sheath their sword and allow the issues presented at the Tribunal to be properly ventilated before sponsoring commentators, political columnists, and armed-chair writers. Do we agree?

     

  • Parents of slain 32-year old cry for justice

    Fear, anger, bitterness and pity now pervade the air at Ire Akari community in Olunde area, an outskirt of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The anger and pain were inflicted on residents of the community by the gruesome killing of a 32-year old tenant, Mr Tosin Adejinmi, penultimate Sunday.

    Adejinmi, an aluminium technician, was allegedly gunned down by a landlord, simply identified as Mr. Oguntade, at 8:57 pm on that fateful day.

    The distraught parents of the deceased, Mr Sola Adejinmi and mother, Victoria, are in anguish. They have been nursing pains in their heart since their son was gruesomely killed, and were surrounded by sympathizsers when The Nation visited them at their home at Olorunsogo area of the city.

    They cried to the government to ensure that their son’s killer is brought to justice without delay.

    Eye witnesses explained that the young man was returning from the main road where he went to drop off a client at 8:30 pm when he was stopped by Oguntade who is one of the leaders of the security group in the community. He rode on his personal motorcycle.He stopped and explained his whereabouts to them (having been joined by night guards). It was learnt that the gun man rejected all his explanations which lasted for about 30 minutes. He insisted that movements of okada as from 8:00 pm had been outlawed in the community.

    Tosin was said to have been terribly beaten within the period before he was eventually shot by Oguntade.

    “His friend’s mother, who facilitated his movement to the area, went there when Tosin cried out for help. She explained to them that he was a tenant in the house beside hers, adding that he was a gentle, hard working young man that was well known to her. She even explained how she facilitated his relocation to the area after finding out how pleasant he was and the level of closeness he enjoyed with her own children. But all her pleas were ignored. The man even showed them the N55,000 he just collected from the client he went to drop off at the bus stop for his next job but Oguntade did not listen. He insisted that the community had banned Okada (commercial motorcycles) from entering the community after 7:00 pm,” a resident whose house is near the scene of the murder told The Nation.

    It was learnt the commercial motorcycle riders stopped taking passengers to the area and informed their colleagues to shun the area. In the process, policemen on patrol learnt about the incident and visited the scene. But Oguntade had escaped. Several policemen were later mobilised to guard the area till daybreak.

  • Offa council poll petition: ACN seeks justice

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has expressed doubt on the ability of the High Court in Kwara State to be fair in its appeal challenging the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal on the chairmanship of Offa Local Government.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said its concerns stemmed from a number of factors.

    These, it said, include the improper constitution of the court, its perpetual refusal of ACN’s applications while granting those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the frustration of ACN’s appeal to the Court of Appeal on the decisions of the High Court’s decision.

    The party urged lovers of democracy and the rule of law to prevail on the Lordships of the High Court of Kwara State to ensure that justice is not only done in this case but should be seen to have been done.

    ACN is challenging the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal on grounds that the tribunal exceeded its jurisdiction in the determination of the election petition filed by the PDP and its candidates, which upturned the victory of the ACN candidate during the rerun of the chairmanship of Offa Local Government on January 12, 2011.

    The party noted that since the inception of its appeal, the Kwara State Appellate Session of the High Court had always been improperly constituted by just two judges.

    ACN said this is contrary to the requirement of the law that three judges must sit to determine the appeal.

    It added: “The implication of the court being composed of only two judges is that there cannot be a majority decision, in case there is a disagreement in the opinion of the two judges; there would be no way to state the position of the court. This is the basis of the law requiring a panel on appeal to be composed of odd number of judges.”

    ACN explained that while its applications have been refused, the court has always granted applications by the PDP, the respondent, while frustrating ACN’s application to the Court of Appeal on its (Kwara Appellate Session) decision.

    It said: “It is trite law that where a party to a matter requests that a case be stated by the High Court to the Court of Appeal on interpretation of any provision of the Constitution, the High Court has no choice in the matter as it is bound to so grant the application.

    “It is rather disappointing that their Lordships of the High Court of Kwara State are hell-bent on determining this case in a proceeding which has shown an outright bias in favour of the respondent, the PDP. Pursuant to that, the ACN’s application to the Court of Appeal, which raised a recondite point of law on whether or not the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal had the jurisdiction to interpret any provision of the Constitution and declare certain provisions of the Kwara State Local Government Electoral Law, 2004, illegal, was rather refused by the High Court of Kwara State in a questionable proceeding.

    “This is quite worrisome. We believe it is the constitutional right of every litigant, who is displeased with the decision of a court of law, to appeal against same in accordance with the law. While the Notice of Appeal had been filed in this case more than a week ago, their Lordships have refused to allow us compile the record of proceedings by which the appeal would be transmitted to the Court of Appeal.”

  • Achieving growth through Free Markets and Justice

    Achieving growth through Free Markets and Justice

    For African countries to achieve prosperity and economic growth, the concept of free market must be the cardinal point of their economic policies.

    This view is contained in a book presented, last week, by African Liberty Organisation (ALO) in conjunction with the Network for Free Society and Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a United States-based global network.

    The 129-page book, entitled Free Markets and Justice and forwarded by Nigeria’s former Minister of Solid Minerals and World Bank’s Vice President Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, was unveiled at Aduke-Thomas, Oshodi office of ALO. It is an African version of The Morality of Capitalism written by Dr Tom Palmer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, which was geared towards educating students on benefits of capitalism.

    According to Mrs Ezekwesili, a World Bank research carried out in over 100 countries over the last 30 years showed that economic freedom, civil and political liberties are the reason some countries achieve and sustain better economic outcomes while others do not.

    She said freedom to produce, to trade or to consume goods or services that one acquired without the use of force, fraud or theft was one of the characteristics in African countries that achieved prosperity in recent times. She said failed policies that caused the famine in Somalia and governance challenges that created the precursor to the policies were similar in outcome to ones that engendered bad governance, corruption and armed conflict.

    Mrs Ezekwesili posited: “The freedom from regulation or other dictates from government or the authorities in economic matters make the capitalist system of economic freedom a means for efficient allocation of resources. Economic freedom helps countries to produce the right leadership and good governance. It helps to achieve inclusive growth and, above all, economic freedom helps citizens remain at the centre of every economic activity.”

    In his paper entitled Looking for Answers to Economic Growth, the publisher of the book and Director of Outreach, ALO, Mr Adedayo Thomas, noted that socialists often criticise the concepts of capitalism and free market as an amoral economic system because of the magnitude of prosperity individuals could achieve with their ability.

    Thomas said: “Far from being an amoral ideology, capitalism is highly structured by ethical norms and rules, which reject looting and grabbing of wealth common in socialism and communism.”

    He said most African countries including Nigeria practise “crony” capitalism, which was why there had not been any meaningful development in Africa. “In Nigeria today, if you know the president or governors, you will be given concession to manage any privatised government enterprise even if you are not competent; this is not capitalism, rather it is this kind of crony or phony capitalism that is putting capitalism in bad light,” Thomas said.

    He added that the book, which is divided into four sections with 13 chapters, contains workable solutions that could catapult many underdeveloped African nations from the realm of the third world to first world nations.

    Palmer noted that the market system referred not just to exchange of goods and services, which had been existing from time immemorial, but also to the system of innovation, wealth creation and social change that has brought to billions of people prosperity that was unimaginable to earlier generations.

    While reviewing the book, Alhaji Alowonle Jimoh, a US-based business man, said the book, apart from being a guide to political leaders, should be made available to students of Economics in secondary schools and higher institutions. The book was presented by Hon. Sunday Akinwale, a liberalism advocate.

    Participants at the programme included professionals from private organisations, government officials, business men, students and Corps members.

     

  • Justice Salami’s long-running ordeal

    Justice Salami’s long-running ordeal

    It has been more than one year since the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the leadership of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, recommended to President Goodluck Jonathan the suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Ayo Salami. The recommendation, it will be recalled, was swiftly endorsed. Salami was said to have lied against Katsina-Alu and refused to apologise to him and the NJC. Nine months after the suspension was endorsed, the next CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, led the NJC to reverse itself in May 2012 by recommending the reinstatement of Salami. This time the Presidency baulked, citing court cases standing in the way of the president and disallowing him from riding roughshod over the courts. The nuisance was therefore passed on to the current CJN, Justice Maryam Aloma-Mukhtar, who was sworn in some three months ago, and who, like her predecessor, has sworn to remove the blot on the judiciary’s escutcheon, which the Salami case had become.

    No one is sure the current CJN will succeed in bringing a just and sensible closure to the unseemly affair. One of the new options being considered to settle the case is for Salami to withdraw the suits he filed against the Federal Government and the NJC, be reinstated, and then gracefully retire. This option, according to a report by The Nation a few days ago, would be discussed by the CJN with both the president in order to avoid a conflict with the Executive branch and with Salami after the Sallah break to secure an amicable resolution. Neither the apex court nor the NJC has confirmed the story. While it is feared that a few anti-Salami conspirators are poised to file fresh suits to stall the reinstatement bid until the PCA attains retirement age next year, it is not even certain that the presidency would buy into this option, nor is anyone sure the PCA himself would be amenable to the deal.

    What is however sure is that the stalemate has weighed heavily on the conscience of the CJNs and the NJC. Apart from Katsina-Alu who triggered the stalemate, and who couldn’t care less, the other CJNs have made strenuous efforts to bring closure to the case and restore the judiciary’s independence and reputation. There is probably some near unanimity in the NJC concerning the Salami case; but the Presidency has hardly disguised what it thought should be the only outcome of the rigmaroles: it wants Salami out, whether disgraced or with soft landing. As determined as the CJN and the NJC are, it is also obvious that they are reluctant to confront the government.

    Justice Salami must resist the temptation to make it easy for the troubled conscience of the president, the CJN and the NJC, which agreeing to the cheap and ignoble terms of disengagement will imply. While the altruism of the CJN and the NJC cannot be doubted, only one outcome appears depressingly inevitable in this sordid affair: reinstatement as a prelude to retirement. The Presidency has immobilised its own conscience. But every man of honour, except political partisans, knows that the odds are stacked against Salami in a country that has lost its moral compass and provoked its people into sundry rebellions and lawlessness. Given the disposition of the Presidency and the fanaticism of his enemies, Salami will be forced out one way or the other. Let him choose to depart in a blaze of glory by daring them to retire him themselves and completing the circle of infamy. No other honourable compromise exists.

     

  • For justice on campus

    For justice on campus

    The judicial arm of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal University of Technology (FUTO) has trained and inducted new members into the union’s Bar Association. FRANCIS EGWUATU (300-Level Mechanical Engineering) reports.

     

    As they filed into the hall, the students were taken for lawyers moving into a court chamber. But they were engineering students attending an oath-taking ceremony. They were all “called to the Bar”.

    The event took place at the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). It was organised by the judicial arm of the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The FUTO Bar Association (FBA) is a body under the SUG’s judiciary, which is responsible for its legal process in running the affairs of students. A six-week training at the SUG’s School of Paralegal Studies (SSPS) is a criterion for students who want to be inducted into the FBA to become barristers on campus.

    At the end of training, the prospective barristers write exams to test their knowledge in para-legal studies. After the test, the successful students will be “called to Bar”.

    The association inducted students who passed the exams penultimate week. It awarded some of them doctorate degrees and made others senior advocates.

    Their senior colleagues in the association graced the event, which was held amid razzmatazz.

    With their black robes and grey wigs, the inductees were all smiles as they took the oath.

    The event started with an opening prayer after which a kolanut was broken to commence the programme.

    The Chief Judge of the SUG, Victor Osigwe; his predecessor, Smart Aniekwe; President of the association Vitus Chikelu and a host of other past members graced the ceremony.

    Prof G.F. Okoroafor, FUTO’s SIWES Co-ordinator, in his lecture, advised the barristers against delivering wrong judgment among themselves. He said as student judges, they should avoid being sentimental in decision-making and pronouncement.

    Afterwards, the inductees were “called to bar”. They were called one after the other to receive certificates in character and learning. Every inductee swore an oath to always place the general interest above their personal gain.

    One of the inductees, Frank Osueke, 300-Level Petroleum Engineering, told CAMPUSLIFE that he was pleased with the outcome of the event, and he praised the executive arm of the union for supporting the initiative.

    Aloysius Nwokedi, 200-Level Electrical Engineering, expressed joy after his formal recognition as a member of the barristers association. He said his reason for becoming a student barrister was to defend the defenseless and pledged to use the knowledge he acquired to uplift the students of the school.

     

  • No to jungle justice

    No to jungle justice

    The gruesome killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) – Chidiaka Lawson, lloyd Toku, Tekena Erikena, Chidiaka Biringa – is no longer news. This barbaric act by the locals of Aluu Community in Rivers State has attracted criticisms from far and near.

    Whether the slain young men were guilty of the offence for which they were roasted is yet unknown. But the question that people keep asking is: Why would a sane community inhabited by rational human lynch their fellow men in such a cruel manner? Can human life be equated with material things,s such as laptops and phones?

    There is also another side to the sad story. There were reports that the lynched students visited the community to ask for money one of them lent his friend. Unknown to them, the lender had something else in mind for them. After the victims confiscated the lender’s phones and laptop, the fellow then raised a false alarm that he was being robbed. Of course, there is yet another angle but the bitter truth is that the slain students are no more alive to say their own side of the story.

    The boys were beaten to a pulp with various objects, bleeding from all part of their bodies. Afterwards, somebody brought petrol and another lit the match. The sight was too unkind. The villagers gathered as though it was a primeval village square, where thieves are guillotined. It seems it is no longer crime in Nigeria to take lives of others.

    There is a constituted authority in the country. Anybody that alleges must be able to prove in the law court. But the people of Aluu community took law into their hands; they are the judges and the accuser. They killed their victims over an allegation. Where are the items the slain students stole?

    Whatever the crime of the students were, who made the killers judges? Don’t we have courts in this country again? What stopped the “jungle judges” from handling the “robbers” over to the police? They would have played a commendable role if they had done so. Alas, they acted barbarism in broad day light and even had the courage to film the incident.

    The lynched students were upcoming musical artists in their life time. I carefully listened to the lyrics of one of their songs. It was as if they knew they were going to die by the sword of those who did not have respect for human lives. A refrain in the said song says: “There’s no love in the heart of the city.” And truly, there is no love in Aluu city. If there was love, the students would not have been and roasted as if they did not deserve to live.

    An emotional person would shed tears if he listens to the statement of Lloyd’s mother. She said Lloyd was a God fearing young man, who wouldn’t even hurt a fly. A day before the killing was his father’s birthday, his father called him and asked him to come over and celebrate it with him. Unknown to him, his son would be killed the day after his birthday. It was a very pathetic idea.

    Tekena Elkannah was buried in a forest in conformance to the custom of his hometown, which says that anybody who endures brutality, injuries and violence, would not be buried in the town. This handsome boy slept in the forest. No thanks to the Aluu community.

    I will not justify the action of the UNIPORT students, who went to burn houses and vandalising property in the village, but I believe no sane human being will be calm after viewing the video of how the victims were lynched.

    The village head and the 12 others, who were detained, should also face the music. They should be made to see the full wrath of the law. We all know this is not the first time such a situation is coming up, it occurs frequently. If not for the video by individual who should have made effort to call the police, all of us would have been in darkness.

    It is so unfortunate this ugly incidence occurred the same week Nigeria celebrated her 52 independence anniversary. May I use this opportunity to appeal to my fellow youth: it is high time we stopped this mob action against our fellow men. The government should also strengthen security in the country.

    Let us all join hands to say no to jungle justice. If we respect humanity, we will have a peaceful country. Jungle justice must stop.

  • Court strikes out suit against Justice Salami

    Court strikes out suit against Justice Salami

    It was another victory for the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, yesterday.

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out a suit seeking to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from reinstating him.

    Justice Abdul Kafarati granted the order, based on a notice of discontinuance filed on June 22 by the purported Plaintiff, Wilfred Okoli.

    Okoli had denied knowledge of the suit filed in his name by an Abuja lawyer, Amobi Nzelu. Okoli is a lawyer working in the chambers of Nzelu.

    The suit was filed to frustrate the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to Jonathan.

    On May 10, the NJC, after its meeting in Abuja recommended the reinstatement of Justice Salami.

    Okoli stated two grounds for seeking to “discomtinue the suit against all the Defendants”.

    He said: “I neither gave consent nor authorised that the suit be instituted, in the first instance. I did not brief anybody whatsoever to commence the suit on my behalf”.

    “I do not have any cause of action against any of the Defendants,” he added

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, Justice Salami’s counsel, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), urged the court to strike out the suit.

    According to him, Nzelu committed a gross professional misconduct by filing a suit in the name of a person whose consent he did not seek.

    The NJC agreed with his position.

    Justice Kafarati struck out the suit.

    Nzelu, In the suit filed on behalf of Okoli, had asked the court to stop Jonathan from acting on the recommendation sent to him by the National Judicial council (NJC).

    The Defendants are the NJC, Justice Salami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Jonathan.

    The plaintiff urged the court to hold that NJC can not deliberate on an issue which is a subject of litigation.

  • Has the justice system failed?

    Has the justice system failed?

    The killing of students in Mubi, Adamawa State, soldiers’ alleged reprisal shootings, endless Boko Haram attacks and mob lynching of four undergraduates in Aluu, Rivers State, have left many wondering whether security agencies have run out of ideas on how to tackle insecurity. More worrisome is people taking laws into their own hands due to apparent loss of confidence in the justice system. How can this degeneration be reversed?

     

     

    Has Nigeria lost its war against insecurity? Is the country heading towards a failed state? These and more are some of the questions begging for answers.

    For many lawyers, despite the government’s claim that it is ‘on top’ of the situation, recent happenings say otherwise. News of killings have become a regular part of the menu, daily. Security agencies have been accused of not helping the situation.

    There seems to be no end in sight to security challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect. It was a black Independence Day celebration for inhabitants of Mubi Town, Adamawa State, as unknown gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, massacred at least 46 persons, mostly students of three tertiary institutions in the town at night.

    More horrific was last week’s lynching of four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students at Omuokiri village near the campus. Nigerians were deeply horrified by the depth of barbarism displayed by the mob. To describe the lynching as gruesome and stomach-churning is an understatement.

    Analysts are of the view that the insecurity is indicative of a failed justice system. Is Nigeria turning to a failed state?

    A group, the Human Rights Watch, in a report released last week, catalogued atrocities for which Boko Haram has claimed responsibility. It also explored the role of Nigeria’s security forces, whose alleged abuses contravene international human rights law and may also constitute crimes against humanity. The violence, which first erupted in 2009, has claimed more than 2,800 lives, it said.

    “The unlawful killing by both Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces only grows worse; both sides need to halt this downward spiral,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Nigeria’s government should swiftly bring to justice the Boko Haram members and security agents who have committed these serious crimes.”

    Since 2009, hundreds of attacks by suspected Boko Haram members have left more than 1,500 people dead, according to media reports monitored by the group. In the first nine months of 2012, more than 815 people died in some 275 attacks allegedly carried out by the group – more than in all of 2010 and 2011 combined.

    The government has responded to Boko Haram, which means “Western education is a sin” in Hausa, with a heavy hand. Security forces have allegedly killed hundreds of Boko Haram suspects and other members of the public with no apparent links to the group, in the name of ending the group’s threat to the citizens. But the authorities have rarely prosecuted those responsible for the Boko Haram violence or security force personnel for their abuses.

    During security raids in communities where attacks have occurred, the military have allegedly engaged in excessive use of force and other human rights violations, such as burning homes, physical abuse, and extra-judicial killings, witnesses told Human Rights Watch.

    Hundreds of people have been arrested in raids across the North, but many of them have been held incommunicado without any charge or trial for months or even years. In some cases, they have been detained in inhuman conditions and subjected to physical abuse or death. The fate of many of those detained remains unclear.

    Just last Monday, operatives of the Maiduguri-based Joint Task Force (JTF) reportedly killed up to 30 unarmed civilians and burnt down multiple houses (some reports say at least 50 houses and shops) as well as vehicles in Gwange, Maiduguri. Some of the victims were reportedly burnt inside their houses beyond recognition.

    The soldiers were allegedly protesting the death of a member of the task force and leader of the patrol team and injuries to other members following explosions caused by an improvised explosive devise believed to have been planted by members of the Boko Haram sect.

    The soldiers reportedly stormed Lagos Street, where the incident was said to have occurred, and began shooting sporadically and indiscriminately at residents and motorists. Some reports say the dead were set on fire by the soldiers.

    Condemning this development, a human rights group, Access to Justice (AJ), urged President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chief of Army Staff to arrest the soldiers who allegedly killed innocent persons, describing the killings as horrific.

    AJ, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Joseph Otteh, said it was saddened by the reported death of the leader of the patrol team and the injuries caused to members of the JTF. It, however, condemned what it called the mindless, barbaric killings of innocent, unarmed civilians by the soldiers.

    The statement said: “The shootings by the soldiers were mindless, irrational and completely unjustifiable. The soldiers were sent to the streets and communities to protect lives of residents from terrorists, maintain security and order and give residents the confidence to go from their houses and pursue their daily activities without feeling that their lives would be in danger by doing so.

    “To be deliberately targeted by the soldiers drafted to protect them and summarily executed is such unspeakable treachery, savagery and villainy. There was nothing to justify the shooting of unarmed, innocent persons who presented no danger to the members of the task force.

    “Access to Justice urgently calls on President Jonathan and the Chief of Army Staff to arrest the soldiers who perpetrated these acts of horrific barbarism and bring them to account. Government should establish clearly and unequivocally that it will not tolerate the impunity of killing innocent Nigerians arbitrarily or summarily.”

    Opinions differ on how to confront the myriad of security challenges facing Nigeria. The United States (US) has said that the problem would end if the government eradicates poor governance and addresses the rising security force abuses and impunity within the military and police.

    Briefing the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Assistance Committee in Washington DC, the Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Mr Earl Gast, said poor governance remained an impediment to development and a major trigger for political violence and public discontent.

    He said: “Unless Nigerians begin using their substantial human and natural resources to address these challenges, the destabilising influence of violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram, as well as inter-communal conflicts in the Middle Belt and Niger Delta, will continue to undermine Nigeria’s aspirations toward development and its desire to play a greater role on the world stage,” he said.

    The shocking lynching of the four students has raised the question of whether the justice system, in which the police plays a critical role, has failed. The video of the killing, which went viral, shows four men stripped naked, with tyres around their necks, being beaten by a mob with wooden sticks, before being set on fire. The students were accused of stealing laptops and mobile phones.

    Some analysts believe inefficiency of the police has led to increase in lawlessness. Nigerian Bar Association President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Okey WAli (SAN) said recent events point to “a state of total systems collapse.”

    “The system has definitely collapsed. A situation where people will parade some suspects some hours before they are eventually killed and there was no intervention from the law enforcement agencies is an obvious indication of the system’s failure.

    “If we have anything called security system in the society, those deaths would have been prevented because, from where those boys were beaten till when they died, from what we heard and read from the papers, there was sufficient time for the police to have intervened,” Wali said.

    On the solution, the NBA President said: “That is why we call for state police because that will lead to better policing and protection of lives and property. It will lead to better policing; it will lead to more intelligence. The police are not well funded; they are not well equipped, so they are unable to match the criminals in the society, whereas if state police is the answer to the problems, so be it. Why not have it?

    “The NBA condemns what has happened. It is a total disgrace to our society, our values or our security system, that those young boys were beaten to death and people were applauding, taking photographs and nothing happened. This cannot happen in any civilised society. It will only happen in a jungle where there is no law to protect the citizens.

    “We have always said, as contained in the 1999 Constitution as amended, that the protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of government, that is what makes all the difference between civilisation and primitiveness where you have jungle justice as they call it.

    “This has shown clearly that the police have least capacity to handle situation like this. Look at what happened in Mubi, Adamawa State where they had something like gangster trial. People were brought out one by one, selected, those who would be killed were shot and no security man came.

    “Can this happen in a civilised society? Can this type of thing go on for seconds, minutes and hours, yet police do not arrive the scene? This shows that there is no effective policing in Nigeria. The entire policing has failed,” he said.

    On what to do with the police who have the constitutional role of protecting citizens, Wali said: “Obviously, it will need the amendment of the Constitution, and thank goodness we are in the process of amending the 1999 Constitution. An amendment would be needed to introduce state police.”

    Reminded that some states opposed state police, Wali said: “That is the problem of the kind of federation we are running. We are supposed to be in a federation. In a federation, the federating units are at liberty to do what they want to do. The obvious fact is that some people do not need the level of security that others need.

    “So, I can understand those not in dire need of such security not seeing the need for such responsibility because, of course, if we go for state police, it means more expenditure by the states and each state would now need to protect itself.

    “Those who feel protected sufficiently by what is going on now should remain with that and those who want to go ahead with funding and policing of their states should go ahead and do it. That is the essence of a federation,” Wali said.

    A professor of Law and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ado-Ekiti, Akin Oyebode, said Nigeria was becoming a failed state.

    “Nigeria is surely manifesting symptoms of a state of anomie. It is at least a failing state if not indeed a failed state with all the consequences arising therefrom,” he said.

    Former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in Kwara State Dele Belgore (SAN) said only a strong and visionary leadership could end insecurity.

    His words: “The degeneration in our values and the high level of insecurity in the country can certainly be reversed with a strong, purposeful and visionary leadership. I have said this several times: we must put the country first, above politics, ethnicity and religion.

    “The arguments on whether we should have state police or not must be viewed from the prism of what is best for our country. The country requires strong institutions within a strong and properly functioning legal framework where the rule of law prevails.

    “Think about it; where there is justice there will be peace and security; where the rule of law prevails, treasury looters will not escape; election riggers will not succeed; public and elected officers will be accountable and the background for development would have been solidly laid.”

    “So, it’s the big picture we should look at and target and then specific problems will be easier to tackle,” Belgore said.

    Prince Adesegun Ajibola (SAN) said: “I think that we have allowed a very bad idea to cultivate for too long and it is now coming near and that is why we now feel we should do something about it and the sooner we do something very serious about it, I think all of us are in trouble. It came too close for comfort, that is why we had all these outcry. Otherwise, no sane society would ever allow such devilish thing to happen in its confines.

    “It should never have been allowed to start, it should never have been allowed to continue to this very bad point of which we are talking about. There is a lot of lessons for us to learn from these incidents. There is a lot of arrangements that need to be put in place to secure our lives. Perhaps the time has come for us to address the issue seriously. It is unfortunate that this heinous events had to happen before we woke up to realise that we are playing with fire.”

    Asked whether state police can assist in curbing the trend, Ajibola said: “I am not too sure that state police is the answer to these event. The force is only as good as its efficiency. We are talking about efficiency here. That is the essence of having a Police Force, not necessarily whether it is state or federal owned. As a way of dealing with the kind of problems we are talking about, I don’t think the absence of a state police has anything to do with it.”

    Constitutional lawyer Fred Agbaje believes state police is the solution. He said: “Whatever the misgivings about state police, it’s still the best option in this season of social malady and extra-judicial killings.

    “Coupled with this anomie is the failure of the justice system, with so many awaiting trial inmates, slow speed of justice delivery, more corruption cases in court and lesser convictions arising from lack of logistics and tools to enhance justice delivery.

    “Absence of good governance and the wicked culture of impunity are cascading our political, economic and social landscape. Mass revolution as witnessed in the Arab world would be a perfect answer,” Agbaje said.

    Executive Director, Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) Mr. Felix Morka said Nigeria is witnessing a tragic escalation in violence.

    “It is a total collapse of our security system. I think it is indicative of what has gone wrong with our security system. But more importantly, it is an expression of the failure of the state and federal government. Nigeria is in a very serious situation when it comes to political leadership at the federal level, the state and the local government level.

    “People can be very surprising. As Nigerians , we gathered around other Nigerians , setting them ablaze, killing them like they are not humans ! Then, people were watching them with their telephones, taking photography of the dastardly act. This indeed showed that our tolerance for inhuman animalistic behavior has really, really increased.

    “It is particularly surprising that nobody intervened. Even I watched and listened to some of the comments that were said by the spectators, it showed they prepared to kill. Throughout the whole incident, where were the police?”

    On how law can be used to combat the spate of violence, he said: “It is so easy. Law is the framework for resolving matters like this. The laws are there in the books but in reality, these laws cannot function without being implemented. People have lost faith in the justice system and in the legal system. Sometimes you go to the police station to complain and you become the criminal when you are supposed to be the victim.

    “So , people don’t know where to go again to get justice. The judiciary is almost like in a coma. Our judiciary has become comatose and they are not able to respond to the needs of the people”

    Rights activist Bamidele Aturu and Otteh described the lynching as unfortunate and outrageous, calling for the prosecution of those behind the dastardly act.

    Otteh said: “These killings are unfortunate, enraging and outrageous. The action of the mob was callous, barbaric and inexcusable. How does anyone justify a mob killing for unproved allegations, such as theft of mobile phones where people are still standing trial for the theft of many billons of naira of public and even pension funds, and no one has lynched them?

    “How do you begin to compare the disparities? Those who carried out these barbarous actions should be sought out and brought to justice. Certainly, the mob may have felt that it was useless taking this matter to the police.

    “Bystanders may have felt there was no point communicating the danger the young men faced to the police as they were being beaten by the mob. Even where the police got a tip-off, it was unlikely they would have responded. Everyday, we see compelling reasons why we must overhaul the police or disband it and start afresh.”

    Aturu said the perpetrators must be brought to justice. “It is an act of barbarism and those behind it must be fished out and tried,” he said, adding that the mob action amounted to a vote of no confidence by a section of the public in the efficiency of the justice system.

    The Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) called for the trial of all those involved. In a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Officer, Miss Zainab Yusuf, the group condemned the vicious show of shame demonstrated by the mob.

    “We hereby condemn in totality the show of bestiality, and the crude enforcement by an angry mob of the most irrational and unconstitutional penalty to a group of young Nigerians caught for allegedly offending the law.

    “Nigeria being a nation governed by law and not by the whims and caprices of mobs, HURIWA hereby gives the Federal Government and the River State Government 78 hours to apprehend and prosecute those mass murderers for the dastardly crimes against humanity to serve as a deterrent to other would-be mass murderers in any part of Nigeria.

    “If the Nigerian Government fails to carry out this legal obligation, we will begin a series of campaign in the mass media, drawing the attention of the world to the reign of impunity with government’s tacit approval in Nigeria.”

    However, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, said insecurity would be curbed if all security agencies collaborated.

    Speaking at an event at the Police Service Commission (PSC) at Jabi, Abuja, Abubakar said: “My dream is to lead a police force that will enforce the law of the land, a police force that will not harass and molest the citizens, and a corruption-free force that will ensure that people’s lives and property are well protected. We are working towards these, and by the grace of God, we will achieve it all.

    “Nigeria is a very large country and to fight and reduce crime to the barest minimum, all security agents must work together. We must bury any hatchet or grudges we might have been holding against each other and collaborate against insecurity if the primary aim is to protect lives and property of the citizens.

    “I am using this medium to solicit for the security agencies’ support, assistance, and collaboration to fight the current surge of insecurity in the country,” Abubakar said.

     

  • Aluu killings: Victims’ parents demand justice

    The parents of the four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), who were killed in Aluu, Rivers State, have urged the Federal Government to bring their children’s killers to book.

    Counsel to the parents of the killed students Mr. Peter Ndukwe spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt.

    Ndukwe said his clients would not get justice at the state level.

    He said the police in Rivers State failed to convince the parents that they could handle the matter well.

    Ndukwe said: “Some policemen from Isiokpo Police Station arrived at the crime scene in good time, but failed to rescue the students. They watched the killing of the young men. This is absurd and absolutely incredible.

    “It calls to question the essence of the Nigeria Police Force, which has again failed in its primary duty of maintaining law and order and securing the lives of the citizens.

    “Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor left his friend’s house about 7 am on the fateful day. This was confirmed by his father, Mr. Messiah Obuzor, and the his friends. So, it is wrong for anybody to say that the lynched students were held by 5:30am on the day they were killed.”

    The Nation learnt that five more persons have been arrested at Aluu in connection with the murder.

    Also yesterday, UNIPORT authorities removed a former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the university, Dr. Andrew Efemini as the Head of the Department of Philosophy.

    Efemini’s offence was participating in Tuesday’s protest against the killing of four students of the university.

    Yesterday in a telephone interview, Efemini said he did not regret participating in the protest.

    The Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL), through its Executive Director, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, condemned the removal of Efemini as HOD.

    Efemini and other UNIPORT lecturers and students protested the killing at Choba Junction on Tuesday, but did not go to Aluu, where some persons protesting the killing burnt houses and cars .

    IHRHL said it was shocked by Efemini’s removal for “solidarising with the protesting students”.

    It said: “Dr. Efemini addressed the protesters and referred to the roasting of the Aluu Four as inhuman and unacceptable. He called on the state authorities to take effective action to stall such dastardly extermination in the future.

    “At the Senate sitting, the vice-chancellor asked him to explain his role in the event, which he politely did. Right there, the VC called on the Dean, who was present at the meeting, to remove Efemini as HOD. Perhaps, Dr. Efemini should have supported the barbarism.

    “IHRHL is sending a letter to UNIPORT VC to rescind his decision forthwith. We urge solidarity in this regard.”