Monday, November 18

Human Rights

Lagos Assembly Throws Weight Behind #EndSARS Protests
9Oct By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Human Rights, Nigeria, Safety, Security

Lagos Assembly Throws Weight Behind #EndSARS Protests

  Lagos State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the #EndSARS protest with a demand on the proscription of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad. They also demanded the introduction of a new and well-structured security outfit by the Federal Government and called on Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, to provide protection for the protesters while they express their grievances. Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made these requests at an emergency sitting of the House. Among the seven-point resolution passed after an extensive deliberation was also that the National Assembly should carry out a probe of the allegations against F-SARS including killing, maiming and dehumanising of Nigerians. “The Commissioner of Police should stop unwarranted molestation of ou...
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#ENDSARS: Police Clash with Protesters in Abuja  
9Oct By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Armed Forces, Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, Press Statement, Safety, Security, Violence

#ENDSARS: Police Clash with Protesters in Abuja  

Protesters who are demanding for scrapping of Special Anti-robbery Squad of the Nigerian police clashed with police operatives in Abuja on Friday. Reports say police fired teargas and shot indiscriminately in a bid to disperse the protesters in the nation’s capital. A video which surfaced online shows protesters scampering for safety. The protesters in the video could be heard shouting “they are shooting at us”, “don’t kill us with teargas”, “you must #EndSARS”. A protester identified as @BrianJDenis on Twitter, tweeted “Police officers have opened fire at us with live bullets at Central Area, Abuja. Some people are injured.” In a related development, Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police, condemned the violent attack on policemen and damage to police operational v...
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Lauretta Onochie, Wizkid in a War of Words on Twitter
7Oct By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, Security, Youths

Lauretta Onochie, Wizkid in a War of Words on Twitter

Nigerian singer Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, and Lauretta Onochie, special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on social media, engaged in war of words on Twitter over Wizkid’s comment on police brutality. The issue started after the multiple-award winning singer berated President Buhari on Twitter, Sunday for wishing American President, Donald Trump a quick recovery from COVID-19 at a time when police brutality generated public outcry. Replying to the tweet, Wizkid described Buhari as an “old man” who should focus more on issues in Nigeria rather than in the United States. https://twitter.com/wizkidayo/status/1312696279210786818 The singer spoke on the heels of reinvigorated protests against the actions of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) after ...
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#ENDSARS: Naira Marley Calls off Planned Protest, Speaks to Force PRO
6Oct By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Human Rights, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Youths

#ENDSARS: Naira Marley Calls off Planned Protest, Speaks to Force PRO

  Nigerian musician Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley has called off his support for the #EndSARS campaign aimed at protesting police brutality in the nation. He also spoke with Force spokesman Frank Mba on measures to protect the youths amid the #EndSARS campaign. The singer had earlier called off a protest slated for Tuesday morning in Lagos after the Nigeria Police Office issued a press statement indicating their interest to engage him and the youths in an Instagram live session to address the concerns raised against SARS. Naira Marley further condemned the activities of some personnel of the force who are in the habit of harassing innocent youths. He said the protest was called off in the interest of the youths and not as insinuated in some quarters that he wa...
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Cybercriminals Responsible for #EndSARS Campaign – Buhari’s Aide
5Oct By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Crime, Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Youths

Cybercriminals Responsible for #EndSARS Campaign – Buhari’s Aide

  The Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, has stated that the protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad were coordinated by internet fraudsters. Onochie who disclosed this in a series of tweets that while there were a few bad eggs in the police, the protests against SARS were orchestrated by Internet fraudsters. She tweeted, “I have no doubt that there are some staff of SARS who are unprofessional in their dealings with the public the same way we have unprofessionalism in the army, mainstream police, customs, civil service, public service , traders, doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, pastors etc. “But what is going on now is a coordinated attack by cyber criminals joined by unsuspecting innocent citizens.  This is not the firs...
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Osinbajo Condemns FSARS Actions
4Oct By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

Osinbajo Condemns FSARS Actions

  Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday condemned the actions of some policemen, especially those attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, who he accused of harassing Nigerians nationwide. He stated that such actions were unacceptable from those saddled with the responsibilities of protecting citizens. Osinbajo disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents at his official residence in Akinola Aguda House, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Vice President said, “I am very concerned and in fact sometimes angry about what I see happening to young men and women who are arrested and, in some cases, maimed or killed by men of the police force, in some cases, those who man tactical units of the police force such as SARS and other units. “It is completely objec...
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BREAKING: #RevolutionNow Protest Hits Abuja
1Oct By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Human Rights, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

BREAKING: #RevolutionNow Protest Hits Abuja

  The organizers of the #RevolutionNow protest, Coalition for Revolution (CORE), have held a peaceful protest in Abuja. The protest spearheaded by the leader of the group who is also a former presidential candidate and Omoyele Sowore, said the protest is against poor governance in the country. The protesters marched through Area 1 roundabout, chanting different songs with bearing placards with different inscriptions. The protest, according to Sowore, is to demand reversal of: “anti-people policies implemented by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. “These harsh policies that have burnt a burdensome hole into the pockets of the Nigerian people are coming at a time when citizens are recovering from the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global health...
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Nigeria: Indigenous People and their Right to Self-Determination
28Sep By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments
Africa, Biafra, Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, United Nations

Nigeria: Indigenous People and their Right to Self-Determination

28th September 2020   Between years 2000 and 2002, a full one-third of the states of Nigeria declared that they would be governed by Islamic Sharia. These are twelve adjoining states in the core north also known as the Arewa region.  In taking up Sharia for themselves, Arewa took up their entitlement to self-determination, and were not criminalised or penalised for it. In characteristic Nigerian fashion of confusing matters, although the 1999 Constitution (Section 10) that it operates mandates that Nigeria must be a secular country, it is also known that this Constitution is a forgery, thus null and void, and invalid. Therefore could it be that Arewa simply ignored the Constitution being unwilling to keep to the demands of an illegitimate social contract? What is clear is that A...
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FG Gets New Order to Stop Planned NLC, TUC Strike
26Sep By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments
Economy, Human Rights, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

FG Gets New Order to Stop Planned NLC, TUC Strike

  The Federal Government has obtained a new order against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from going on with their plan to commence a nationwide strike on Monday. Justice Ibrahim Galadima of the National Industrial Court issued the order in Abuja in an ex parte application made by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. The NLC and TUC had earlier declared a nationwide strike starting from Monday, 28th September to protest the recent hike in petrol pump price and electricity tariff.
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