Festus Keyamo, Senior Advocate of
Nigeria, SAN, has described as “insensitive and insensate” the arrest of
members of BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, advocacy group and its leader, Oby
Ezekwesili by men of the Nigerian Police Force.
The senior lawyer maintained that
the arrest was “unjustified” and was a “violent violation of human rights.”
In a statement he signed, the
senior lawyer urged the police to apologise to the advocacy group.
Keyamo also reiterated his
earlier call that the IGP, Ibrahim Idris should immediately resign from his
position.
The statement reads, “I just read
with shock, bewilderment and disillusionment the arrest by the Nigerian Police
of members of Bring Back Our Girls movement who gathered for a peaceful protest
at the Unity Fountain in Abuja earlier today.
“This arrest is one too many,
especially coming on the heels of the recent illegal arrest and detention of
some on-line journalists by the same Police, acting at the behest of the
Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris.
“I am still struggling to come to
terms with the explanation given by the Police for the arrest, which is the
absence of a permit by the members of the group. This moronic excuse is not
only inexcusable, it is laughable as Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right to PEACEFUL
ASSEMBLY and association. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has also
re-iterated that a police permit is NOT REQUIRED for such a gathering in the
case of IGP V. ANPP & ORS (2007) 18 NWLR (PT. 1066) PG. 457.
“Though, I understand that the
members of the group have been released from the Police Station to which they
were taken, it does not detract from the fact that detention of a citizen, no
matter how brief, so long as it is unjustified, is a violent violation of human
rights. The law is very clear on this as stated by the Court of Appeal in the
case of DURUAKU V. NWOKE (2015) 15 NWLR (PT. 1483) PG. 417, particularly at 471
Par F-G.
“I therefore call on the Nigerian
Police to IMMEDIATELY apologise to the members of the group for this
unwarranted, unjustified and provocative trespass on their persons and
deprivation of their freedoms.
“I also re-iterate my call for
the removal of the Inspector-General of Police from office for these
unpardonable and inexplicable infractions of the fundamental rights of citizens
of our country.”
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