As condemnation of the arbitrary arrest of
African Independent Television, AIT’s Amaechi Anakwe by armed police operatives
on the order of the newly promoted and obviously controversial Assistant
Inspector General of Police, AIG Mbu Joseph Mbu, a Pro-Democracy
Non-Governmental Organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,
HURIWA, has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to order the immediate release of
the senior editorial staff.
In a statement jointly signed by the National
Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and he National Media Affairs Director,
Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA condemned the high handedness and the flagrant
violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression and
movement under Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution by the serving AIG,
Mr. Mbu who has abused his power by ordering the detention of a journalist just
for merely describing him as controversial.
The Rights group asked the president to also order the
Police Service Commission to issue a query to the Assistant Inspector General
of Police for this gross abuse of the fundamental human rights of a Nigerian
who was simply doing his duties constitutionally guaranteed under section 22 of
the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as amended] which
conferred on the media in Nigeria as the vanguard and national watchdogs of
public office holders.
HURIWA said it amounted to the use of self help measures
for the Police officer to abuse his power by arresting a Nigerian journalist
from his line of legitimate work as a media worker even as it expressed shock
that the police officer acted both as a prosecutor and judge in his own case.
HURIWA has also asked the
Federal Government to once and for all issue stern warning and caution to high
profile police officers to desist from creating spectacular image problem not
just for the government but for the country before the comity of nations just
as the rights group reminded the Government that the on-going spate of bombing
campaign by the armed Islamic terrorists, Boko Haram, was reportedly
precipitated by the alleged extra-legal execution of the founder of Boko Haram
Mallam Mohammed Yusuf who was captured alive in Maiduguri in 2009 by the Joint
military task force and handed over to the police but was later killed
reportedly while in Police detention. HURIWA has therefore called on the
Nigerian Government to take decisive steps to bring about radical and
comprehensive police reforms so as to throw out lawless and recalcitrant
operatives and officers who perpetually bring bad image for Nigeria.
“We hereby appeal to the Nigerian President to order the
immediate release of the journalist Mr. Amaechi Anakwe from the detention of
Mr. Mbu and order that the said officer be sanctioned administratively by the
Police Service Commission for abuse of power even as the African Independent
Television is advised to seek redress and heavy compensation in the competent
court of law without let or hindrance.
“We are shocked that barely few
days after Amnesty International issued a damaging report of use of torture by
the Nigerian Police, this newly promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police
has proceeded to abuse the fundamental freedoms of a Nigerian. If he felt that
the journalist offended him in the eye of the law why take the law into his
hands instead of seeking judicial redress? Mr, President must act fast before
this overzealous police officer attracts public opprobrium to his
administration which may rob off on his chances of winning re-election next
February,” HURIWA stressed.
3rd Oct. 2014
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