*HURIWA TO MALAMI:- ENSURE THAT DSS RESPECTS CONSTITUTIONAL DIGNITY OF DETAINEES, COUNSELS.
Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Justice Minister and Federal Attorney General Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria to ensure that the State Security Services (DSS), the Nigerian Police Force and the Armed Forces of Nigeria adhere strictly to constitutional norms and respect the dignity of the human persons who are alleged to be in conflict with the law.
Relatedly, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the apparent secrecy of the findings and recommendations of the IGP’S Investigative panel that probed the indicted deputy commissioner of police ABBA Kyari accused in the USA Court of colluding and conspiring with a globally notorious advance fee fraud kingpin convicted in America known as HUSHPUPPI.
HURIWA is therefore demanding from the IGP Usman Alkali Baba a public full disclosure of what the panel headed by the FCID Deputy Inspector-General of Police unraveled from it’s official investigation so Nigerians will be in the know since the Country runs a constitutional democracy and it’s a government of the people, by the people and for the people. HURIWA said the silence of the Police Service Commission on the matter says a lot about the credibility of the PSC just as the Rights group wondered why it is taking the PSC almost eternity to investigate a straightforward case of indictments published in black and white and tendered in a Court of competent jurisdiction in the USA.
HURIWA said the inaction of the Nigerian State to the indictments of the Senior police officer by the Government of the USA will be interpreted to mean that Nigeria has become a totally failed state that accommodates impunity and criminality. The Rights group said the Nigerian police force owe Nigerians the obligation of ensuring that DCP ABBA KYARI clears his name of the global opprobrium which rubbishes the good name and global brand of Nigeria. “The gentleman ABBA Kyari should rather be in a mad rush to go to the court in USA to clear his name if he believes in his innocence “.
The Rights group said It made the charge to the Minister of Justice not just because he holds a political position which in any event is ephemeral, but because of the obvious fact that his position as Attorney General of the Federation with clear endorsement from the nation’s grund norm means that he/she is obliged to bequeath a clean legacy of a good custodian of the law.
Besides, HURIWA observed that the quality of respect that security services extend to citizens in their custody and even those that they relate with in their line of duty, captures the quality of governance and the contemporary health of the nation as a constitutional democracy and a respected member of the comity of nations. It applauded the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya for placing professionalism and ethical soldiering as his major blueprint in office just as the Rights group urged him not to detract from his avowed commitment expressed by him in several ways and places since his recent appointment.
In a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) blames the crass irresponsibility and insensitivity of officers of the various security forces in Nigeria towards respecting the sanctity of life and the respect to the dignity of the human person, for the rapidly deteriorating treatment meted out to Nigerians all around the World including the open and brazen maltreatment of diplomats representing the Country overseas.
“It is time for the holder of the constitutionally designated office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to declare a state of Human Rights emergency in all detention facilities of security forces beginning with the most notorious one which is the facility of the state security service (SSS) also known as Department of State Service (DSS).
“As we write, there have been dozens of complaints about the severe cases of Human Rights violations in the DSS just as these cases have become even much more worrying with the increasing number of lawyers to detainees protesting the disrespect to their human dignity whilst visiting their clients in the detention facilities of the DSS. The lawyers of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) ‘Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are the latest to complain loudly about how the DSS humiliated them.”
HURIWA is therefore reminding the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice that his duty is not strictly political but a professional and constitutional mandate which makes it obligatory that as the Chief legal Adviser to the President who is also the Commander –in –Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, it is in his place to compel the compliance to the constitutional norms, by officials of the security institutions all of which are answerable to the President.
Section 34 (1) of the constitution is vital and it says thus: Every individual is entitled: (1) Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly – (a) no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; (b) no person shall he held in slavery or servitude; and (c) no person shall be required to perform forced of compulsory labour.
HURIWA recalled that one of the counsels to Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Maxwell Opara, has filed a N50 million suit against the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the DSS, over alleged violation of his fundamental human rights.
In his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1018/2021, the Abuja-based lawyer is demanding the sum as compensation for the infringement of his fundamental rights to dignity and human person. He is equally urging the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the two respondents and their representatives from further disturbing or interfering with his rights to dignity of human person, liberty and freedom of movement by any further harrassment, intimidation and humiliation during his routine visit to their detention facility, to see his client, or in any way infringing on his constitutional right as guaranteed by the law.
Opara is further seeking a written apology by the respondents to be published in two national daily newspapers, for the unwarranted infringement of his fundamental rights. He further prayed for an order directing the Respondents to jointly and severally pay for the cause of the action.
Among other reliefs the Applicant is seeking from the court include: A declaration that the respondents whilst in the execution of their duties must respect the fundamental rights of citizens and, accordingly, abide by the provisions of Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and the provisions of the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
