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Tag: NHRC

  • Nigerian Military has been actively engaged in conflicts — NHRC

    The Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, said on Tuesday that in the face of conflicts the Nigerian Military had been actively engaged.

    Ojukwu said this in Abuja in his welcome address at the opening ceremony of a four-day advanced training on human rights for Nigerian Army officers by the human rights institute.

    The address was delivered by Mr Benedict Agu, Head, Monitoring department of the commission, on behalf of the ES.

    According Ojukwu, the training became necessary due to the regular involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the civil space in Nigeria.

    “In the face of the periodic conflicts in some parts of Nigeria and insurgency in the North Eastern states, the Nigerian Military has been actively engaged in field operations.

    “The commission is under obligation to draw the attention of the military to the fact that international human rights law is applicable in the operations as well as laws of war or international humanitarian law (IHL),” he said.

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    Ojukwu further said that those operations fell within non-international armed conflict wherein the principles of humanity, military necessity, proportionality and distinction must apply.

    He added that such regular involvement of the military among civilian populations threw up various human rights challenges.

    He stressed that the involvement was not limited to scaling up security during, quelling widespread conflicts and agitation in the Niger Delta, counter-insurgency operations among others.

    “These require application of international human rights standards and international humanitarian law principles.

    “Therefore, mainstreaming these as well as civilian protection in military operations becomes imperative,” he said.

    He said among others that the training was to improve the knowledge of the officers on human rights standards and practices.

    Also, to equip them with the knowledge and skill that would keep their operations within acceptable human rights norms and practice as well as humanitarian principles.

    In his goodwill message, Mr Eloi Fillion, head of delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross, said that he was aware of the many things the Nigerian Army was doing to improve on their rules of engagement.

    Fillion said that with the help of the National Human Rights Commission the Armed forces had created human rights desk among other efforts geared towards improving the rules of engagement.

    “The importance of the laws of engagement can not be over estimated, the ability to translate the applicable international and domestic rules into good behaviour on the ground is required,” he said.

    He emphasised that there must be observance of the rules of engagement in each operation in line with the laws.

    According to him, one of the challenges comes from the fact that the Nigerian Army is conducting operations in a broad range of context.

    “This context is the operational reality and logic, in addition, they are also regulated by bodies of laws.

    “The compliance of the laws can amount to violation under human rights; human rights legal force could only be used in self defence over defence of others,” he said.

    He, therefore, called on every officer to be aware “in which context the operation is taking place and which body of law is to be applied”. (NAN )

  • NHRC, Police: don’t undermine polls’ credibility

    The police and other security agencies have been urged to be professional during and after the general elections on Saturday.

    The Southwest Zonal Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr Lucas Koyejo and Dr Taiwo Kasumu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) attached to the Lagos State Command, gave the advice in Lagos.

    They spoke at a one-day training workshop on ‘Human Rights Standards and Guidelines For The Conduct of security Personnel on Electoral Duty’.

    Koyejo said: “Any evidence or indication that a police officer on electoral duty showed bias towards one political party or another in any form has the potential to undermine the integrity of the elections.”

    The programme, which held at the Police Officers Mess, GRA, Ikeja, was organised by the NHRC in collaboration with the Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP).

    Participants included officers from the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos Neighbourhood Security Corps (LNSC), Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), among others.

    Koyejo said the police and security personnel on electoral duties have a responsibility to ensure that peaceful conditions are maintained at the polling and counting centres during elections and that the people exercise their franchise without fear or any form of coercion, intimidation, violence or manipulation.

    He advised that security personnel during the exercise must be professional  in their conduct and demeanour and discharge their duties with fairness and impartiality.

    Aside from advising them to respect the rights of every person, Koyejo admonished them to see themselves as “facilitators of the democratic process and strive to avoid the taking of any arbitrary measures which would inhibit the exercise of democratic rights of the citizens.

    “During election time, security personnel have to be more vigilant not to be seen to side with one group or political party. They should not only be neutral and impartial but they must be seen to be neutral and impartial.

    “In the context of the elections, they need to ensure citizens are able to vote and participate in the political processes, free from discrimination, verbal or physical abuse, harassment and violence,” he said.

    Kasumu, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, in his lecture titled: “Strategies for De-escalating Conflict on Electoral Duties”, said certain constitutional standards are expected of the Police during elections.

    Kasumu asserted that aside from exhibiting high sense of professionalism, the police and other security agencies must remain alert, be approachable, refuse to be a player but maintain impartiality and fairness during the election.

    He said they should avoid the use of force, whether moderate or otherwise, all through the conduct of the election.

    He admonished members of the command participating in Saturday’s election to aquaint themselves with the electoral law, especially the sections on electoral offences, which they are expected to enforce as police officers.

    Representative of the NPP, Blessing Abiri called for collaboration of the Police with other security agencies in order to avert violence and ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

  • Falana urges NHRC to probe Rann IDP camp killings

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the January 17 bombing of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Rann, Borno State, in which 234 persons were allegedly killed.

    The request was contained in a petition, dated January 17 and titled: Request for Investigation Into the Bombing of IDP Camp in Rann, Borno State on January 17, 2019, the lawyer sent to the Executive Secretary of the commission.

    The killings reportedly occurred after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet was reported to have bombed a camp in Rann, where thousands of families displaced during the offensive against Boko Haram insurgents were sheltered.

    According to Falana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said its workers in the area had seen at least 200 people wounded and 50 dead, following the bombing and expected the death toll to rise.

    But the chairman of Kale-Balge Local Government Area, Babagana Malarima, had refuted the claims that only 50 people died, saying: “We buried 234 persons in Rann after the bombs were dropped on the IDP camp. We have two other injured persons who died in a hospital in Maiduguri (the state capital).”

    Falana argued that instead of reporting the incident to the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which is saddled with the responsibility of investigating aircraft accidents in the country, the authorities of NAF decided suo motu to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the bombing of the IDP camp.

    He said: “Although the report of the inquiry was not made public, the Nigeria Air Force blamed the bombing of the camp on an accident.

    “In a statement credited to the NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Olatunkubo Adesanya, it was said that ‘no NAF pilot leaves his base with the intention of going to kill the same set of people he greatly sacrifices day and night to protect’.”

  • Panel summons ex-Minister, Moro, writes Dankwanbo

    The Presidential Investigation Panel investigating operations of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has summoned former Interior Minister, Abba 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.

    The panel, headed by the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in an invitation to the ex-Minster, directed him to appear on January 21 when it is expected to resume hearing on 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.

    The panel’s decision to invite Moro was informed by its discovery, at the last hearing of the petition marked: NHRC/PSARS/2018/ABJ/17/7924/HQ), that Moro allegedly authored the petition on which the SARS’s operatives acted.

    Some SARS’ operatives, who were earlier invited by the panel, disclosed that their presence in the community; the arrest and detention of members of the community was in furtherance of their investigation of the petition allegedly written by Moro.

    Also, the panel has written the Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo to supply information in relation to circumstances leading to the death of one of his domestic staff, John Okon.

    The panel, while hearing a petition presented by the late Okon’s lawyer, Ballason Gloria Mabeiam, took the decision to write the Gombe Governor to among others, help identify his Aide de Camp (ADC), who allegedly instigated the torture and eventual murder of Okon in the custody of SARS operatives at the Gabassa Police Station, Kaduna.

    According to the deceased’s lawyer, the late Okon was “a personal cook and housekeeper to Governor Dankwanbo at his Kaduna residence.” He was said to reside in the boys’ quarters of the house until November 8, 2018 when the house was burgled and four television sets allegedly stolen.

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    The incident was first reported at the Kabala Coustain Police Station, Kaduna, where Okon, two policemen, two private security guards and a gardener (all six men) were summarily detained.

    It was alleged that upon the instigation of an ADC to the governor, the case was transferred to SARS at Gabasawa Police Station, Kaduna, where Okon was allegedly tortured to death by men of SARS.

    The panel said it was concerned as to why a case of theft and burglary was handed to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to investigate. It said it intended to establish whether the SARS operatives dabbled into a case outside their area of operations.

    The panel said it expects the governor to respond to its request between now and January 23 when intends to conduct further hearing in the petition.

  • NHRC writes Dankwanbo over domestic staff’s death

    The National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC ) has asked the Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo to assist it with information in relation to circumstances leading to the death of one the governor’s domestic staff, John Okon.

    The NHRC’s panel investigating activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police, on Wednesday resolved to write the Gombe Governor to among others, help identify his Aide de Camp (ADC), who allegedly instigated the torture and eventual murder of Okon in the custody of SARS operatives at the Gabassa Police Station, Kaduna.

    The panel took the decision during the hearing of a petition submitted to it by lawyer to the late Okon Ballason Gloria Mabeiam.

    The panel took evidence from the deceased’s wife, Joy (who attended with her two young children and an aged mother); Inspector Yakubu (who was accused of participating in the torture of Okon) and two medical experts who conducted an autopsy on Okon’s corpse.

    Okon was said to be one of “a personal cook and housekeeper to Governor Dankwanbo at his Kaduna residence.” He was said to reside in the boys quarters of the house until November 8, 2018, when the house was burgled and four television sets allegedly stolen.

    The incident was first reported at the Kabala Coustain Police Station, where Okon, two policemen, two private security guards and a gardener (all six men) were detained.

    It was alleged that upon the instigation of an ADC to the governor, the case was transferred to SARS at Gabasawa Police Station, Kaduna, where Okon was allegedly tortured to death by men of SARS.

    Testifying Joy (who struggled to hold back tears and the persistent cry of her baby) ) told the panel how her late husband was beaten, dragged on the floor and denied access to food and water by the policemen, who detained him for several days.

    He identified Inspector Yakubu as one of those who tortured her husband, an allegation the policeman denied when called to testify.

    Yakubu stunned all when he claimed that the other five men detained with Okon were charged to court, even when there was no evidence against them.

    He said the decision to charge the other five was informed by a directive by their Commanding Officer, Supol Jummai.

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    When told that in one of the documents submitted to the panel, the police had claimed Okon confessed that he committed the offence with one other person, Yakubu insisted that it was Jummai that directed that the others be charged to court.

    Two medical experts who came to submit report of the autopsy conducted on Okon, said injuries and bruises he sustained while in Police custody contributed to his death.

    Earlier, the panel also resolved to invite ex-Interior Minister, Abbah Moro to appear on January 21 this year.

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

    The allegation against Moro came to light when, at the hearing of a petition by members of the Iwewe Community (marked: NHRC/PSARS/2018/ABJ/17/7924/HQ), some policemen who came to testify, claimed the petition on which they acted, was authored by the ex-Minister.

  • NHRC condemns police siege to Melaye’s residence

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday condemned the police siege to the Abuja residence of Senator Dino Melaye, saying it violates his right and that of his family.

    The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, particularly faulted the method adopted by the police in trying to effect Melaye’s arrest.

    “By this act, the right to freedom of movement of the occupants of the house has been violated consequentially,” he said.

    “Is Melaye the only occupant of the house? How about the rest of the family and other people in that house and the neighbourhood?

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    “It is not a matter of whether the doors are locked from inside or outside, but that the rest of the people are now terrified and unsure of their security due to the siege.”

    Under normal circumstances, the commission said the police ought to invite anybody for questioning and not to lay siege to the person’s house thereby infringing on the right of others.

    The commission said it would not tolerate any form of impunity, particularly from security agencies as the February general elections approach.

    The NHRC asked Police Inspector General Ibrahim Idris to order the immediate withdrawal of his men from Melaye’s house.

  • NHRC asks IGP to end police’s siege on Melaye’s house

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has faulted the continued siege on the Abuja home of Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

    A statement issued on Friday by NHRC’s spokesman, Lambart Oparah, quoted the commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu as arguing that the method adopted by the police violated the rights of other occupants of the house.

    The NHRC urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to direct the immediate withdrawal of his men from the Senator’s house.

    The NHRC said it will continue to condemn acts of impunity by law enforcement agents until they learn to carry out their law enforcement duties within minimum accepted international standards of law enforcement.

    The commission added that it will not tolerate any form of impunity, particularly from the security agencies as we approach the elections.

    Part of the statement reads: “The NHRC condemns in strong terms the method adopted by the Nigerian Police in laying siege in the house of Senator Dino Melaye and calls on the Inspector General of Police to direct the immediate withdrawal of his men from the Senator’s house.

    “Executive Secretary NHRC Tony Ojukwu faults the methodology adopted by the Police in effecting the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye.

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    “The right to freedom of movement of occupants of the house have been violated consequentially.

    “Is Senator Melaye the only occupant of the house? How about the rest of the family and other people in that house and neighborhood?

    “It is not a matter of whether the doors are locked from inside or outside but the rest of the people are now terrified and unsure of their security due to the siege.

    “Under normal circumstances the Police ought to invite anybody for questioning and not to lay siege in the house thereby threatening infringement of the right of others.”

  • Lawyer petitions DSS, NHRC over van’s seizure

    A lawyer, Obiakaraije Ekeleme, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) Acting Director-General, Mathew Seiyefa, over the seizure of a distribution van belonging to his client, Mr Charles Ndimele, by a DSS officer, Bashir Mohammed.

    The petition is entitled: Complaint against the use of apparatus of the DSS against an innocent citizen.

    Ekeleme said his client distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages within Abuja and its environs.

    Mohammed seized the van because his vehicle hit another car that suddenly stopped in front of him, while another car hit car from behind.

    The DSS officer claimed the car in front stopped suddenly while attempting to avoid the van that was parked on the road.

    In the petition, Ekeleme said on August 8, the Mitsbushi van with registration number LSD 273 XL broke down along Kubwa Expressway.

    According to him, the van could not be quickly pushed off the road because it was loaded with drinks.

    Ekeleme said a caution sign was displayed to warn other road users.

    “However, few minutes after our client’s van broke down, a certain Toyota car drove too close to our client’s caution before negotiating away from the caution sign.

    “One other Mercedes Benz car that was following the Toyota car behind could not navigate from the tail of the said Toyota car, resulting in a minor accident.

    “A certain occupant of the Mercedes Benz identified himself as Bashir Muhammed, a DSS personnel, and proceeded to query why our client’s van should breakdown along the road,” the lawyer said.

    According to the complainant, although DSS officer’s vehicle did not directly hit the van, he seized it with the goods inside.

    “Dissatisfied with our client’s explanations, the said Bashir Muhammed indicted our client as being the cause of the incident involving his car and thereafter made a call to his office directing some personnel from his office to come and impound our client’s van.

    “It is pertinent to note that from our client’s narrative, the said incident that occurred did not affect our client’s van because the caution sign was displayed meters away from our client’s van for the use and safety of other road users.

    “It is the story of our client that men of the DSS upon arrival at the scene few minutes later, arrested our client’s staff, impounded the van and took same to the DSS office at FCT Command Asokoro, Abuja.

    “Our client was not allowed to take inventory of his goods nor did he remove his personal belongings from the van at the time it was impounded,” the lawyer wrote.

    He said Ndimele was unable to reconcile his account with the depot where he takes delivery of his drinks, which has affected his business since August 8.

    “Our client informed us that he has since the 8th day of August, 2018 made repeated pleas and demand to have his van released to him but Bashir Muhammed refused.

    “Surprisingly, few days after the incident, Bashir Muhammed sent a demand of N215, 000 to our client through SMS and insisted that unless the said sum is paid our client’s van will not be released to him.

    “Our client’s van has remained with the DSS since the 8th day of August, 2018 with all the goods loaded inside the van.

    “We urge you to use your good office to inquire into our client’s ordeal and appropriate measures taken to address his plight.

    “We are also asking for monetary compensation to help ease the inconveniences our client has suffered since his van was impounded and kept at the DSS custody.

    “We sincerely hope that we shall not be forced to seek legal redress for our client.”

    Muhammed had sent a text to Ndimele on August 11, which reads: “Front and back bumpe: N85,000, Fender N25,000, Bonnet N80,000, Front Grill N25,000”.

    But, Muhammed denied seizing the van. He said he only took it into safe custody as it was in a dangerous part of the road.

    The DSS officer said the van was no longer in DSS custody, but had been handed over to the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO).

    He, however, insisted that Ndimele must repair his damaged vehicle before the van can be released.

    The NHRC acknowledged the petition, saying: “The complaint has been registered as C/2018/CPR/3806/HQ and it is receiving attention.

    “You shall be informed of the outcome of our investigation on the matter in due course.”

  • Human Right records 1m cases of violations in 2 years

    The National Human Right Commission (NHRC), on Saturday, said it recorded about one million cases of human rights violations in the country between 2017 and 2018.

    Mr Anthony Ojukwu, the NHRC Executive Secretary, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at a Judicial Actors Coalition meeting in Maiduguri.

    Ojukwu attributed the numerous cases recorded to the spate of conflicts, which include the Boko Haram and herders/farmers conflicts in some parts of the country.

    He said that the commission had recorded more than 100,000 cases of human rights violations and abuses in Borno, where Boko Haram had wreaked so much havoc.

    He listed some of the cases to include sexual abuse, child molestation, gender base violence, torture, extra judicial killings and other numerous ranges of violence.

    According to him, there are quite a number of cases, especially here in Borno state.

    “There are more than 56,000 unclaimed children in the IDPs camps, who are deprived of their rights to health, education and so on.

    “There are more than 25,000 women widowed by Boko Haram, many of these women had suffered degrading and inhuman treatment and other forms of violence.

    “It is the firm belief of the commission that working with the Search for Common Ground in the past 5-6 years; so many conflicts have been prevented in the communities through timely monitoring, investigations and peaceful resolution,’’ he said.

    However, due to the fact that these conflict were prevented and not allowed to snowball into full scale hostilities, most people, including key government personnel sometimes lose sight of the contributions to peaceful development through the effort of the commission and other partners.

    The billions of Naira spent by government to contain some conflicts could have been worst without effort of organisations like NHRC and Search for Common Grounds.

    “It is in the light of this and other factors that poor cooperation from some security agencies to the work of the commission and the partners is deplored.

    “All of us, be it government agencies or our partners, should be seen by security agencies have a joint responsibility with the commission for protection of human rights,’’ he said.

    Ojukwu said that in spite the challenges faced by the commission, it had not relented on it efforts of protecting human right in the country.

    “The greatest challenge of the commission to implement its mandate has been poor budgetary provisions of 2018, but the provisions are still dare cry for what the commission requires to operate optimally.

    “The commission is poorly funded when compared to the funding of the NHRIs in smaller countries like South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.

    “We urge other development partners to seize the opportunities and challenges of the moment offered by human rights challenge in the North East, North Central, South South and South Eastern parts of the country, to assist the commission.

    “Such assistance can be in the nature of capacity building, infrastructure, computers, vehicle for monitoring and vehicles for investigation of violations, furniture, building for state offices,” he said.

    Other demands included building shelters for women and children domestically assaulted and violated and funding projects of concern like monitoring and facilitating the mainstreaming of human rights into the resolution of herders and farmers conflicts.

    Ojukwu also stressed the need for monitoring and protecting the right of refugees from Cameroun and other displaced persons in South South, North Central and North East Nigeria and digitisation of the operation of the commission.

  • NHRC warns police, others against rights abuse

    •Commission threatens six years jail, N100,000 fine

    THE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned that it will henceforth penalise any law enforcement agent or agency involved in the violation of the rights of suspects and accused persons.

    The NHRC said law enforcement officer found to have violated such detainees’ right would be subjected to “punishment of six months imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 or both under the NHRC Act 1995 as amended”.

    The warning is contained in a directive the NHRC issued in fulfilment of its mandate to deal with all matters relating to the promotion and protection of human rights, and other functions as provided for under its enabling Act (as amended).

    The document titled: Directive NHRC/001/2018: Directive for treatment of accused persons and suspects by law enforcement officers,” was signed by NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu.

    The commission said the directive was informed by its observation that law enforcement officers “arrest accused persons without respect for the dignity of their person, disregard court orders while investigating or trying some accused persons, prosecute some accused persons without respect for their right to health and life or fair opportunity of stable health condition to understand their offences and charges to defend themselves etc”.

    Calling for a paradigm shift in the procedure and processes of law enforcement, the NHRC noted that suspects and accused persons have obligation to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and their personnel while carrying out law enforcement duties.

    Part of the directive reads: “That law enforcement agencies and their personnel have the duty, responsibility and obligation to respect all the rights of suspects and accused persons while exercising their investigative and prosecutorial powers under the law.

    Accordingly, the commission said:

    • That law enforcement in flagrant disrespect for human rights is unlawful under the laws of Nigeria;
    • That all law enforcement agencies and their officers should henceforth enforce the Constitution and other laws of Nigeria with due respect for human rights; and
    • That any such disrespect for human rights by law enforcement agencies or officers will be roundly condemned and accountability for such disrespect will be demanded from erring law enforcement agencies and personally from the enforcement officer(s).