A frontline Civil Rights Advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
\nASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has carpeted the Federal government for
\npersisting in the unconstitutional pastime of oppressive policies
\nagainst some media institutions considered as too INDEPENDENT and
\nrapidly pro-people.<\/p>\n
The Rights group said it was despicable that barely 48 hours after the
\nUnited States of America through its State Department issued strong
\nindictment of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for
\nmedia repression and multiple other human rights violations of the human
\nRIGHTS of the Nigerian Citizens in its Country Human Rights Report on
\nNigeria in 2019,\u00a0 the same government\u00a0 has displayed the most despicable
\nshow of force against the media by crudely expelling reporters of the
\nAfrican Independent Television (AIT) and Punch Group of Newspapers from
\ncovering a publicly funded event of the National Communications
\nCommission. “This is absolutely condemnable and a vicious show of shame
\nwhich is not supposed to be associated with a democratic administration
\n“.<\/p>\n
HURIWA recalled that the AIT AND PUNCH NEWSPAPER HAVE BEEN BARRED FROM
\nCOVERING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S UNVEILING OF 2020-2025 BROADBAND PLAN
\nBY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI THAT HELD\u00a0 IN ABUJA\u00a0 \u00a0EVEN AS REPORTERS
\nAND CAMERAMEN OF THE TWO MEDIA HOUSES WERE KICKED OUT OF THE VENUE OF
\nTHE EVENT BEING ORGANIZED BY NCC BASED ON “ORDER FROM ABOVE” ACCORDING
\nTO SECURITY AGENTS.<\/p>\n
HURIWA affirmed that the action of the security forces at the instance
\nof President Muhammadu Buhari amounted to some of the worst case of
\ntyranny and dictatorship because dictators are in perpetual and mortal
\nfear of free and independent media. “Regrettably, these two media houses
\nare considered as ‘enemies’ of President Muhammadu Buhari by the
\nestablishment. This action is a violation of all the fundamental rights
\nprovisions including Right to dignity of the human person amongst a
\nplethora of other humam rights provisions enshrined in chapter 4 of the
\n1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999(as
\namended).\u00a0 It is also an abuse of power which section 15(5) frowns
\nagainst absolutely when it obliges government officials to abolish all
\ncorrupt practices and abuse of power. It is a crude abuse of power to
\nprevent the media from covering a public function paid for by the people
\nof Nigeria.<\/p>\n
HURIWA lamented that only few days back, the current administration came
\nunder the searchlights and hammer of the WORLD ‘s largest democracy- the
\nUnited States of America for a range of human rights breaches including
\narbitrary detentions of media practitioners but sadly, hhere are we
\nagain witnessing security brutality of media workers only because they
\nare from media houses that the Presidency has been unable to pocket or
\nbribe.<\/p>\n
HURIWA recalled that the USA had reported as follows: “Police and other
\nsecurity services have the authority to arrest individuals without first
\nobtaining warrants if they have reasonable suspicion a person committed
\nan offense, a power they often abused. The law requires that, even
\nduring a state of emergency, detainees must appear before a magistrate
\nwithin 48 hours and have access to lawyers and family members. In many
\ninstances government and security officials did not adhere to this
\nregulation. Police held for interrogation individuals found in the
\nvicinity of a crime for periods ranging from a few hours to several
\nmonths, and after their release, authorities sometimes asked the
\nindividuals to return for further questioning. The law requires an
\narresting officer to inform the accused of charges at the time of
\narrest, transport the accused to a police station for processing within
\na reasonable time, and allow the suspect to obtain counsel and post
\nbail. Families were afraid to approach military barracks used as
\ndetention facilities. Police detained suspects without informing them of
\nthe charges against them or allowing access to counsel and family
\nmembers; such detentions often included solicitation of bribes.
\nProvision of bail often remained arbitrary or subject to extrajudicial
\ninfluence. Judges often set stringent bail conditions. In many areas
\nwith no functioning bail system, suspects remained incarcerated
\nindefinitely in investigative detention. Authorities kept detainees
\nincommunicado for long periods. Numerous detainees stated police
\ndemanded bribes to take them to court hearings or to release them. If
\nfamily members wanted to attend a trial, police often demanded
\nadditional payment.”<\/p>\n
The US state department had also indicted Buhari thus: “The government
\ncontinued to turn to the armed forces to address internal security
\nconcerns, due to insufficient capacity and staffing of domestic law
\nenforcement agencies. The constitution authorizes the use of the
\nmilitary to “suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities
\nto restore order.” Armed forces were part of continuing joint security
\noperations in the Northeast, Southeast, Niger Delta, Middle Belt, and
\nNorthwest.Police, DSS, and military reported to civilian authorities but
\nperiodically acted outside civilian control. The government lacked
\neffective mechanisms and sufficient political will to investigate and
\npunish most security force abuse and corruption. Police remained
\nsusceptible to corruption, committed human rights violations, and
\noperated with widespread impunity in the apprehension, illegal
\ndetention, and torture of suspects. The DSS also reportedly committed
\nhuman rights abuses. In some cases private citizens or the government
\nbrought charges against perpetrators of human rights abuses, but most
\ncases lingered in courts… Security personnel arbitrarily arrested
\nnumerous persons during the year, although the number remained unknown.
\nSecurity services detained journalists and demonstrators during the year
\n(see sections 2.a. and 2.b.).”<\/p>\n
HURIWA\u00a0 said the action of the security forces in barring AIT and PUNCH
\nfrom doing their work on behalf of Nigerians totally violates Section 22
\nof the NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION which states: “The press, radio, television
\nand other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to
\nuphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold
\nthe responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”<\/p>\n
Also, HURIWA stressed that the Constitution makes it imperative for all
\npublicly funded events to be covered by the media because Section 39
\nstates: “(1) Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression,
\nincluding freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and
\ninformation without interference. (2) Without prejudice to the
\ngenerality of subsection (1) of this section, every person shall be
\nentitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination
\nof information, ideas and opinions: Provided that no person, other than
\nthe Government of the Federation or of a State or any other person or
\nbody authorised by the President on the fulfilment of conditions laid
\ndown by an Act of the National Assembly, shall own, establish or operate
\na television or wireless broadcasting station for, any purpose
\nwhatsoever. (3) Nothing in this section shall invalidate any law that is
\nreasonably justifiable in a democratic society – (a) for the purpose of
\npreventing the disclosure. of information received in confidence,
\nmaintaining the authority and independence of courts or regulating
\ntelephony, wireless broadcasting, television or the exhibition of
\ncinematograph films; or (b) imposing restrictions upon persons holding
\noffice under the Government of the Federation or of a State, members of
\nthe armed forces of the Federation or members of the Nigeria Police
\nForce or other Government security services or agencies established by
\nlaw.”<\/p>\n
A frontline Civil Rights Advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has carpeted the Federal government for persisting in the unconstitutional pastime of oppressive policies against some media…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n