PRESS RELEASE

October 27, 2008

RE: SSS TO ELENDU: APOLOGIZE TO YAR’ADUA OR BE TORTURED TO DEATH

The attention of the Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF) has been drawn to a story captioned SSS TO ELENDU: APOLOGIZE TO YAR’ADUA OR BE TORTURED TO DEATH, published by an online news agency, pointblanknews.

According to the story, operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the unlawfully detained publisher of elendureports, Jonathan Elendu, that the only condition for his release was to apologize to President Yar’adua for alleged offensive stories published by his online news agency.

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It should be recalled that Elendu was, in a manner reminiscent of the dark days of military dictatorship, arrested on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from the United States, detained under the most soulless, despicable, impious, degrading and inhuman condition and tortured like a common criminal by the SSS over trump-up charges of sedition. Apparently owing to its inability to sustain the trump-up charge, the SSS last Friday night transferred him to the cell of the EFCC over another trump-up charge of money laundering that was scratched out from the sky.

HRJPF is not at a loss as to why the detained popular online reporter who has been denied access to his lawyers, family members and friends is undergoing these travails. His is being persecuted for exercising his right to freedom of speech and expression, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which Yar’adua swore to uphold and as well other international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

As operators of the current civilian dictatorship in democratic garbs, that does not tolerate any criticisms, no matter how constructive, oppressive agents of the Yar’adua-led illegitimate government, according to the pointblanknews, want Elendu to apologize to the emerging maximum ruler of Nigeria, Yar’adua or be tortured to death. This is an arrogant use of state power in a supposedly democratic rule. HRJPF therefore condemns this in its entirety.

HRJPF is no longer surprised by the clamp-down on journalists by the Yar’adua-led government. Having ascended to power through the backdoor of corruption of the electoral process, Yar’adua, like every political robber, does not have anything good, including the dividends of democracy, to offer to the Nigerian people. Rather, he has come to steal, to kill and to destroy.

Since the Yar’adua-led government has outlawed itself by encouraging the establishment of tyranny, the HRJPF calls on the Nigerian people, regardless of their tribe or religion, to rise en masse to save our country from the emerging dictatorship in the country. This can be done through nation-wide non-violent civil disobedience.

 

Comrade Chidi Nwosu

President

Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF)

93, Market Road, first floor, back, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

234 803 505 6312