The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

  • Why hate speech, fake news are rife, by Falana

    Rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN) blamed the rising spate of hate speech and fake news the absence of political will on the part the government to ensure effective application of existing laws.

    Falana noted that there were enough laws in the nation’s statute books to deal with the challenge of hate speech, fake news and electoral violence.

    He argued that the problem exists in the lack of political will on the part of those in authorities to apply the laws.

    Falana spoke in Abuja at “an interface with key regulators and stakeholders on hate speeches, fake news and election violence,” held by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation.

    The rights activist cautioned against the practice of forwarding of fake text messages with hate speeches, because of the stringent punishment that will be meted out to anyone found guilty of hate speech and spreading fake news.

    Falana urged politicians to learn to do away with hate speech and fake news.

    NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu said his agency  has initiated measures to address the growing deployment of hate speech by politicians.

    Read Also: Falana urges NJC to ask Onnoghen to step aside

    Ojukwu said NHRC was aware of the danger of hate speech and fake news, particularly in election year, and has taken the initiative to curb their uses.

    He said some of the measures being deployed by his agency include plans for the the formation of a Coalition Against Hate, Fake and Dangerous Speeches (CAFAHADS) and the appointment of social media ambassadors to promote activities against hate, fake speeches and election violence.

    Ojukwu, who disclosed that his commission was also planning a survey, to gauge the incidence of hate speech, fake news and electoral violence throughout the six geopolitical zones in the country.

    He said findings from the survey will enable the Commission put up directive or an advisory on hate speeches, fake news and electoral violence, with a view to creating an enabling environment for free and fair 2019 general elections.

    Ojukwu noted that hate speech and fake news were capable of inciting electoral violence before, during and after the elections.

    He noted that hate speech and fake news could also lower public confidence in the electoral process, create mutual distrust and ultimately affect the acceptance of the outcome of the election.

    Ojukwu added: “This has become a potent tool in the hands of individuals and groups that wish to truncate our democratic governance.”

  • Alleged rights abuse: Presidential panel insists on Moro’s appearance

    The Presidential Investigation Panel on alleged human rights violations against SARS has insisted former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro must appear before it on January 25 this year.

    The panel, headed by the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), had last week summoned Moro in relation to his alleged complicity in the purported unlawful arrest, detention and extortion of members of Iwewe Community in Benue State SARS’ operatives.

    Moro was expected to appear before the panel on January 21 when it scheduled further hearing in a petition by the Iwewe Community, in which they among others alleged that SARS’ operatives invaded their community and subjected men and women to unlawful arrest, detention and extortion.

    On Monday, Moro failed to turn up but instead, sent a lawyer, Paul Samuel Ikpe, who told the panel that his client was absent because of the burial ceremony of the leader of his political party, slated on January 24 this year.

    Ikpe said the burial date coincides with the date the panel requested his client to attend its sitting.  He added that his client was interested in appearing before the panel.

    He requested the panel to do away with his client’s personal appearance but instead, allow him to respond to panel’s questions in writing, a request the panel rejected.

    The panel said such a procedure contravenes the essence of its sitting, which is intended as a public enquiry.

    Ojukwu said: “The panel would need to conduct some follow up questions that may arise from his testimonies; he needs to be here physically to testify publicly.”

    Monday was the second time Moro was failing to attend the panel’s sitting.

    On January 15 this year, his lawyer blamed his absence on some political engagements.

    Moro was accused of authorizing a petition upon which SARS invaded Iwewe Community in Benue State and allegedly subjected them to unlawful arrest, detention and extortion.

  • Presidential panel deplores use of torture in suspects’ interrogation

    Members of the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police has deplored the continued use of torture as a tool of interrogation by security agents in the country.

    The panel, led by Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), expressed this opinion shortly after its on-the-spot visit to SARS’ main detention centre in Guzampe, Abuja on January 18 this year.

    Speaking on the panel’s findings, Ojukwu said members of the panel encountered detainees with scares and serious injuries, “which they (the detainees) made us understand were as a result of torture.”

    He said, in view of this finding, the panel has summoned the investigation police officers (IPOs) handling cases involving suspects with such injuries, and some other senior supervising police officers to appear at its on-going sitting in Abuja.

    Ojukwu called for the adoption of intelligence-led policing and scientific investigation methods as against the reliance on torture by investigator. He argued that the deployment of force by the police and other investigating agencies always result in the destruction of vital clues and intelligence that would have aided in crime prevention and detection.

    He said the condition of facilities in the detention centre requires urgent improvement, because not only are the facilities inadequate, detainees were kept in over-crowded and smelly cells, with inadequate access to food, medicine and healthcare.

    Ojukwu added: “We found that some of them are sick and have not been taken to hospital. We were told that nurses visit them on a daily basis. But, some of them (detainees) complained that they pay for the drugs that they need to get well. It is important that the medical facilities here are kept up to date so that we don’t have cases of death in detention.”

    Ojukwu, who said his panel also found that minors and policemen were also detained in the facility with adult criminal suspects, faulted the practice were erring policemen, trained to apprehend criminals, were detained in the same cell with such criminal suspects.

    He suggested the practice where minors and erring security personnel were kept in separate facilities to prevent the many unintended consequences that often result from such cases.

    Ojukwu identified practices like the involvement of SARS in cases of minor offences, indiscriminate arrest and detention, and the delay in the criminal justice system as factors responsible for the over-crowing of detention facilities.

    He said his panel also found that some of the detainees have not been taken to court for over a year.  

    Ojukwu urged police authorities and the Judiciary to work on ways to decongest such detention facilities, including ensuring that detainees were allowed prompt access to court to enable them establish their innocence or guilt within the time provided by the Constitution.

  • NHRC orders police to produce man held since 2017

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the police to account a suspect, Biodun Olaroye allegedly being held by the Special Anti-Robbery Square (SARS) since 2017.

    The NHRC Penal on the investigation of activities of SARS, now sitting in Abuja, particularly directed Olaroye to be produced before it on Monday, January 21 by the police.

    The panel also directed the police to produce the case file involving the 39-year old father of one, who was said to have been arrested by SARS operatives when he visited his aunt in Ikorodu, Lagos in May 2017.

    The NHRC panel on SARS, which is holding its final round of sitting in Abuja, having sat in the geo-political zones since last year, also directed the police to produce the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the Olaroye case.

    The panel, which adjourned further hearing in the case to January 21, 2019, equally directed the head of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, who is said to be aware of the case, to appear before it next Monday.

    The suspect’s senior brother, Olatunde Olaroye, had while presenting his case before the panel on Monday, said since himself and some member of the family last saw Biodun in SARS’ detention facility in Ikeja , Lagos sometime in August in 2018, they have heard nothing again from him till date.

    Olatunde said: “Biodun Bode Olaroye was arrested by operatives of IRT/SARS in Ikorodu, Lagos between 11th and 13th of May, 2017 at the residence of our maternal sister, where he went to collect transport money to return to Abuja to continue with the screening exercise of Peace Corps recruitment which was eventually disbanded.

    “The family traced Biodun to the Police Headquarters cell in Ikeia, Lagos. He was brought out for identification.

    “After identification, the officer in charge lRT Unit, Supol Philip refused family access to Biodun, including any legal intervention.

    “He said they have the legal right to investigate him (the suspect) for three months and 2 weeks before we can engage legal services to hear from Biodun. We waited patiently.

    Read Also: NHRC condemns police siege to Melaye’s residence

    “All the while in Police custody, Biodun was subjected to grave torture and agony with claim he was being interrogated, some we learnt died in that process.

    “So we mounted pressure to know the IPO in charge of his case but were threatened not to come near not to come near the station any further.

    “In all, Biodun was held in custody for approximately 4 months after which we were informed, Biodun and others were to be paraded to the IGP as criminals in custody

    “Sir, as we write and speak now, after Biodun was moved out of SARS, (IRT) cell in Lagos, the officers in charge which include both DCP Abba Kyari, who is the 0C, SARS/IRT Unit, Abuja and Supol Philip, Officer in charge, Lagos SARS [IRT) refused to disclose the whereabouts of Biodun Bode Olaroye.

    “This is 18 months of his incarceration and yet, they refused to tell us where he is kept and there is no news about B iodun.

    “We have gone round several prisons across the federation and visited Federal SARS’ cell and the Force CID office cell with no trace of him.

    “He is married with a son under 3 years now. We don’t know if Biodun has been executed by Supol Philip at the command of DCP Abba Kyari,” Olatunde said.

    The Chairman, NHRC panel on SARS, Tony Ojukwu (who is also the Executive Secretary of NHRC) said the directives given to the police on the case was to ensure the truth about the whereabouts of the suspect is ascertained.

    Speaking on Monday at the opening session of the panel’s Abuja second sitting session, Ojukwu said the panel has, since its constitution last October, it “has held four pubic sittings, where complaints of alleged human rights violations from the public and memoranda on how to reform SARS were considered.

    “The sittings were conducted in the following geo-political zones of Nigeria: The first public sitting was heId in Abuja from 22nd  to 25th October, 2018 for the North Central Zone; the second public sitting was held in Lagos from 13th to 17th November, 2018 for South West Zone; the third public sitting was held in Owerri, Imo State from 27th  November to 13th December, 2018 for both South-East and South-South zones; and the fourth sitting was held in Gombe from the 5th to 6th of December, 2018 for North-East Zone.

    “Since the constitution of the panel, a total of 103 complaints of alleged human rights violation were received by the secretariat of the panel.

    “Out of this number, the panel received 37 complaints from the North-Centrai zone, 37 complaints from the South-West, 16 complaints from the South-South, 9 complaints from the South-East, 3 complaints from the North-East and 1 complaint from the North-West.

    “The Panel has concluded hearing on 51 of the complaints, while 52 complaints are still pending.

    “Out of the 52 pending cases, 29 are part-heard, while 23 are fresh complaints. Accordingly, most of the pending complaints are at advanced stages of hearing.

    “This sitting will be considering 52 pending cases made up of fresh complaints and part-heard complaints from Abuja and different parts of the country,” Ojukwu said.

     

  • Rights abuses: NHRC sets up panel to probe SARS

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has constituted a panel to investigate allegations of rights abuses and other activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

    A statement by the commission, said the special investigation panel, to be headed by NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu was in furtherance of a recent presidential directive to that effect.

    Read Also:‘F-SARS will have human rights desks in 36 states’

    In the statement, an official of the commission, Uche Mebrim, quoted Ojukwu as saying that the panel was constituted pursuant to the provisions of the National Human Rights Commission Act, 1995 as amended.

    He said the panel would sit in Abuja and the six geo-political zones of the country to listen to complaints from victims of alleged human rights violations against SARS operatives and members of the public, who have suggestions on reforming SARS and improving public safety and security in Nigeria.

    Ojukwu said that the Panel is expected to submit its report to the Federal Government after ninety days of its inauguration and that member of the public are requested to cooperate with the panel to ensure a smooth national assignment.

    Ojukwu, who has since inaugurated the panel in Abuja, called on members to brace up for the task of proffering recommendations aimed at improving policing, public safety and security in general.

    He said the panel’s members were carefully selected in accordance with their deep commitment to deepening promotion of respect for the rule of law, depth of experience and knowledge in human rights and policing and their track records in public service.

    He said NHRC has issued call for memoranda in two national dailies, requesting members of the public to bring forward their complaints and has also inaugurated a special panel of investigation for the national assignment.

    He gave the panel’s terms of reference include: “to independently review and render advice on any value added by SARS from a public safety and security perspective and make recommendations to the government on the steps that may be taken to reform or restructure SARS.

    “Measures to be taken in respect of operatives of SARS, if any, found in violation of human rights of citizens; remedial steps that may enhance the professional conduct of SARS operatives and other members of the Nigeria Police; and any other recommendations that may be considered appropriate.”

    Members of the panel include Ojukwu, Tijani Mohammed (from the Police Service Commission), David I. Shagba ( Public Service Commission) and Chino Obiagwu) representing civil society).

    Others are Hashimu Argungu (a retired police officer), Prof. Etannibi Alemika (an independent expert on policing) and Abdulrahman Ayinde Yakubu (NHRC, who will act as panel’s Secretary).

  • How to end killings, by NHRC, ex-Ekiti AG, others

    …Killers could be Boko Haram – Ojukwu

     

    Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, ex-Ekiti State’s Attorney General, Olawale Fapohunda and others have given insight into how the Federal Government could address the incessant killings across the country.

    Ojukwu, Fapohunda, Law Professor, Agbo Madaki and rights activist, Chino Obiagwu suggested a general overhaul of the nation’s security architecture to enable the country address the heightening insecurity in the land.

    They spoke in Abuja Monday at an event tagged: “Civil Societies/NHRC dialogue on the state of human rights in Nigeria,” jointly held by NHRC and Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN).

    They contended that the Nigerian government cannot argue not to have failed in the area of rights protection where its security agencies appear helpless when its citizens are massacred daily and yet the perpetrators are not identified.

    Ojukwu argued that the reluctance of security agencies to properly situate the identity of perpetrators these killings was either a lapse or a deliberate ploy to shield them.

    He added: “See what is happening in Benue and Plateau states. I keep telling people that this may be another Boko Haram in another guise, because the way these killings were being done, I am surprised that herdsmen can kill people like this.

    Read Also:PDP bemoans Plateau killings, blames Buhari, APC

    “I am really surprised that people will just wake up and take joy in just killing human beings. For what? Just for you to have your herds graze in the bush?

    “I think there is more than meets the eye. But, because they just want to maintain the narrative that Boko Haram has been degraded and defeated, they don’t want to look at that direction that this could be another Boko Haram.

    “This is because when they scattered them in the North-East they (the Boko Haram members) dispersed into small groups and entered communities and that is what we are seeing.

    “The clinical way these people are handling AK47 and killing, it is difficult for me to accept and believe that these are herdsmen,” Ojukwu said.

    On the need to overhaul the security arrangement, the NHRC boss said: “I have been one of those, who have always said that unless we have state police in this country, it is going to be a problem to protect us. I can give you an instance.

    “We have a federal police, yes. You take a man from Katsina and send him ke him my village and transfer him to my village, he does not understand Igbo language. There is not enough he can.

    “But, look at how the vigilantes work in some villages or even in towns. Every neighbourhood has its own vigilante. They put a bar and it is working for them.

    “Look at what happened in the North-East. Part of the problem we had while fighting Boko Haram was that they were brothers living among brothers. The soldiers did not know who was who.

    “But when the indigenes themselves formed the civilian JTF, they were able to know those, who among them, were Boko Haram and they started fishing them (Boko Haram) out.

    “If you continued sending soldiers from Abuja to go to those places we would not have been able to record the successes we have recorded now.

    Can’t we see? Do we need anybody to tell us? So, part of our duty as human rights commission and civil society organisations is to engage government.

    “”So we can use advocacy to wake them up to their senses, so that we talk true to power. Otherwise, it is going to be difficult to change things,” Ojukwu said.

    Fapohunda argued that it was wishful thinking for anyone to think that the present Nigeria Police Force (NPF), as currently constituted, will be able to respond to the country’s security challenges.

    He added that the NPF “today, is incapable of solving our security problems.  The policemen are not even the problem, because the institutional framework is weak.

    “I am sure you will not be surprised that the law that governs the police force now was drafted in 1948. The law is not responsive to the police needs; it is not responsive the security needs of Nigeria,” Fapohunda said.

    Madaki argued that it was wrong for the NHRC not to act in the face of the endless killings in the North Central and part of North East, because it has the powers to investigate and monitor human rights violation and make reports to the President.

    He added: “I am also suggesting that the enabling Act of the NHRC be amended to confer on it the power to prosecute criminal cases that relate to human rights violations.

    “Because, it is not enough to seek redress by way of compensation, let the power be extended to the commission to prosecute those who are responsible for rights violation.”

    Obiagwu, who expressed disappointment that the killings have gone on unabated, said “our sense of humanity has been lost because we see corpse lying on the streets and people will leave the corpse and go to church or mosque.

    “We are very religious, but not godly. I think we should begin to re-visit our sense of humanity. Right to life is primary to our sense of humanity and I will call on the NHRC to reflect on this,” Obiagwu said.

  • Police clash with IMN members in Abuja again

    The Police in FCT on Monday clashed with members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria ( IMN ) after they stormed the National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC ) demanding the release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

    The police had on April 16 arrested 115 members of the sect during a violent protest in the territory.

    A senior security officer who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted to talk to journalists, told our reporter that the sect members had to be forcefully dispersed after all pleas to leave the area fell on deaf ears.

    However, the sect members engaged the force with stones and other missiles and smashed glasses of some vehicles parked in and around the NHRC building.

    They also pelted the police water cannon vehicle deployed to disperse them with stones, wounding some of the policemen, while some of the sect members ran into one of the uncompleted buildings beside the commission.

    The police later called for re-enforcement, leading to deployment of more personnel with sniffer dogs to comb the building.

    Although the senior officer declined to comment further, we gathered that some members of the sect were arrested in connection with the violent protest.

    When contacted, the Spokesman of the FCT Police Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said that he had not gotten details of the incident and, therefore, declined further comments.

    NAN

  • Nigeria, Uganda partner to promote Human Rights

    Nigeria, Uganda partner to promote Human Rights

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it will partner with its Ugandan counterpart to boost monitoring, investigating and prosecution of human rights violations in their respective countries.

    Mrs Oti Ovrawah, the Acting Executive Secretary of NHRC, made this known Monday at the opening of four-day training on Human Rights for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Yola.

    Ovrawah said that the two countries were committed to promoting human rights, particularly in areas of sharing ideas and training in ensuring   protection of human rights, particularly in areas of conflicts.

    She also said that the cardinal objectives of the training in Yola were to promote human rights and accountability in Nigerian in general and in the North-East in particular.

    “The Commission is organising this training in partnership with the Human Rights Agenda Network, European Union, United Nations High Commission for Human Rights and the Ugandan Human Rights Commission.

    “The core objectives of the training include monitoring and investigation of human rights violations by Civil Society Organisations, Human Rights Agenda Network and the Commission due to counter insurgency operations in Adamawa,Borno and Yobe.

    “The commission and partners with the project probono lawyers will accordingly prosecute some of these cases and bring perpetrators of human rights violations to account for their acts.” Ovrawah said.

    The acting executive secretary said the prosecution would be done through court cases and public hearings

    She stated that the training would also focused on documentation and reporting skills and personal safety and risk management of the human rights personnel.

    According to her, other aspects of the training include registration of complaints, record keeping and case management, standard reporting and monitoring template for human rights violations.

    In his remarks, Mr Wilfred Asiinwe of the Ugandan Human Rights commission said Nigeria and Uganda shared common experiences in terms of internal civil conflicts.

    He stressed the need for the two countries to partner and promote the rights of their respective citizens.

    Asiinwe, who is also a facilitator at the training, said that time had come for African countries to come together and solve problems and challenges affecting them.

    “Citizen Human Rights is one of the fundamental aspects of development to every nation; therefore, African countries should not be left behind,” Asiimwe said

    He said while conflict could not be eradicated, but could be controlled and managed to the bearable level through investigation, promoting and prosecution of Human Rights cases.

    Participants at the event were drawn from CSOs based in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

    Some of resource persons that presented papers at the training include Mr Christian Mukosa, Senior human rights adviser, office of the High Commission of Human Rights, Juba, Sudan and Prof. Akinseye Geirge, human rights expert.

    Others are Olaniyo Omodara and A.A. Yakubu, seasoned lawyers and experts in investigation and prosecution of human rights cases.

  • NHRC trains MDAs on caring for IDPs in northeast

    NHRC trains MDAs on caring for IDPs in northeast

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has organised a special training for personnel of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with catering for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in parts of the north.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day training is being organised in collaboration with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Jos.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs. Oti Ovrawah, NHRC Acting Executive Secretary, said that the training was part of the commission’s steps to safeguard the interest of the IDPs.

    “We want to effectively monitor the humanitarian situation in the IDPs’ camps; we want to ensure that they do not suffer,” she said.

    She said that the trainees would be tutored on how to draw government’s attention to the humanitarian situation in the camps, and ways to respond to the needs of the IDPs and make them less vulnerable.

    “They will also be trained on how to package requests to government and attract prompt response,” he said.

    Ovrawah said that the training would avail MDAs working in project states the opportunity to synergise and strategise for better result.

    NAN reports that the training drew participants from Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, and Yola in the North East, and Benue in the North Central.

  • IDPs: Human Rights Commissions trains stakeholders on protection mandate

    IDPs: Human Rights Commissions trains stakeholders on protection mandate

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced training for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) with protection mandates for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North East and North Central.

    At the launch of the training on Monday in Yola, the acting Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mrs Oti Anukpe, said it was in collaboration with UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

    She said “this training is one of the key components of IDPs/Protection project of NHRC in partnership with UNHCR in monitoring and reporting the situation of IDPs in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

    “The objective of the project is to monitor the humanitarian situation in the project states with the aim of gaining comprehensive insight into issues concerning IDPs and
    returnees for government and other humanitarian actors to advocate and respond to their needs and reduce their vulnerability.”

    Anukpe said that the training would facilitate MDA’s ability to respond and to deliver the desired humanitarian response with respect to protection issues and to provide  platform for MDAs with protection mandate to synergise and strategise.

    THE scribe explained that within the past two years of implementing the project, the commission and its partners realised the need to bring other stakeholders in the protection sector on board for efficient response to humanitarian needs nationwide, particularly in the project states.

    She commended MDAs participating in the workshop for availing themselves the opportunity to build their capacity in humanitarian assistance.

    She also lauded UNHCR for its sustained support to the project.

    Various representatives of MDAs and concerned organisations were in attendance.

    Representative of Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) said the workshop would go a long way in uniting actors in the field toward achieving common goal of protecting the vulnerable one in the society.