Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “immediately and
unconditionally release blogger Abubakar Usman who is detained simply for
exercising his constitutional and internationally recognised right to
freedom of expression.”
Mr Usman was arrested for alleged cyberstalking of the EFCC Chairman Mr.
Ibrahim Magu.
But in a statement today by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni the
organisation said “This action by the EFCC is unequivocally contrary to
both section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and
article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to
which Nigeria is a state party. The EFCC must now immediately and
unconditionally release Mr Usman and drop all charges against him.”
The statement reads in part: “Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of
expression. Under international law, everyone has the right to freedom of
expression, including freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and
ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or
in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.
SERAP believes that no one should be arrested simply for criticising
public institution or public figures.”
“The EFCC and indeed all public institutions should proactively encourage
freedom of expression to enhance their ability to fight corruption but
also to maintain the sanctity of the constitution and Nigeria’s
international obligations and commitments. There are many whistle-blowers
out there that can be of immense support to anticorruption agencies and
contribute to the effective discharge of their statutory mandates to
prevent and combat corruption.”
“Nigerians should be allowed to talk freely without threats of arrest or
harm.”
“SERAP will be taking legal action to challenge the constitutionality of
the ludicrous Cyber Crime Act which is now being regularly used to
undermine the effective enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression in
Nigeria.”
“In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Committee issued guidance to
states parties including Nigeria on their free speech obligations under
article 19 that emphasized the high value that the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights places upon uninhibited expression in
circumstances of public debate concerning public figures in the political
domain and public institutions.”