DSS arrest of Sufin Zamani for song that suggests ‘Hausa actresses don’t stay in marriage’ is unconstitutional, illegal:- says HURIWA

Hausa singer, Sarfilu Umar Zarewa, better known as Sufin Zamani, has been arrested and detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and this is being described by the Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) as an affront to the constitutionally guaranteed human rights of the arbitrarily detained musician. The Rights is therefore advocating his release without ant further waste of time. 

The group said if anybody feels that his song has labelled the person, then such a person should Institute a civil suit and not to report to the use of the Department of State Services to do such a civil matter when Nigerians are now being bombarded by terrorists which should be the priority of the DSS and not get into such petty civil matter. 

HURIWA recalled that the musician Zarewa was reported by authorities of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) for putting out a record titled ‘Matan Fim Ba Sa Zaman Aure’.

The title suggested that “Northern actresses don’t stay in a marriage.”

Kannywood actresses alleged that it was derogatory to them.

HURIWA recalled  that In a statement signed by Al-Amin Ciroma, the national PRO of MOPPAN, the association said a complaint letter was written to it by Wasila Isma’il, the veteran actress, on behalf of other women in the industry.

It said they demanded justice from the leadership of the association over a record done by Zarewa. The statement also quoted Wasila as saying that the women felt insulted by the lyrics of the song.

MOPPAN stated that Ahmad Sarari, the national president of MOPPAN, thereafter ordered an investigation to be carried out.

HURIWA however condemned the arrest of the Musician by the Department of State Services and has asked the Director General of the Department of State Services Alhaji Yusuf Magagi Bichi to order his officers to free the illegally detained musician forthwith and profusely apologise to him over the flagrant violations of his human rights because HURIWA said in as much as he did not name any particular Actress in the said song, arresting him for manifesting and celebrating the fruits of his creative tendencies and talents amounts to anti-intellectualism, unconstitutional,  illegal and primitive just as the Rights group reminded the DSS that Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and not a dictatorship or theocracy.  

HURIWA is praying the DSS to get busy by arresting and crushing all the armed terrorists destroying lives and property of the citizens. 

HURIWA cited relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution to affirm that the DSS has committed egregious breach of the constitutional rights of this illegally detained Hausa Musician thus: “35.  (1)  Every  person  shall  be  entitled  to  his  personal  liberty  and  no  person  shall be  deprived  of  such liberty  save  in  the  following  cases  and  in  accordance  with  a  procedure  permitted  by  law  –   (a)  in  execution  of  the  sentence  or  order  of  a court in  respect of  a  criminal  offence  of  which  he has been  found  guilty; and 39.  (1)  Every  person  shall  be  entitled  to  freedom  of  expression,  including  freedom  to  hold  opinions  and  to receive  and  impart ideas  and  information  without interference.”

HURIWA has therefore called for the immediate,  unconditional and swift release of this Nigerian Musician and with great deal of apologies and compensation. 

ZAMFARA ‘SELF DEFENCE’ MANDATE — SIGNS OF A NIGERIAN FAILED STATE ?: THE FACTS, THE FEARS, AND THE FUTURE

By

Emmanuel Gandu

HIGHLIGHTS
@ Excerpts
@ How it all began
@ Gov. Matawalle’s frustration
@ Implications of Matawalle’s Self defense declaration

• Is Nigeria near a failed state
• Is the Nigerian military a failure
• Has General Muhammadu Buhari been conquered by a rag-tag group
• How far with APC manifestoes of 2014-2023
  @ What is the position of the Nigerian constitution
  @ Where is The Firearms Act in all of this
  @ Conclusion EXCERPTS [ “Self defense has always been part of human survival strategy therefore as governor I will do everything possible to uphold this responsibility within the ambit of the law”
  The implication of this call is not only an indictment on the Nigerian military inability to curb the menace of the rag-tag groups, but also a failure of the Buhari led APC government to govern. ]

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
You would recall when at the height of the fulani herdsmen attacks on farmers in Benue state, Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, and other parts of the Middle Belt from 2016 to date, coupled with the Buhari forceful planned aquisition of land in all local governments of the country for RUGA, grazing reserves, cattle colonies, cattle routes, etc, followed with clashes leading to a monumental loss of human life with catastrophic consequences.
Leaders such as T.Y Danjuma called on the affected communities to rise up and defend themselves.
While Benue state governor Samuel Ortom initially called on his people to defend themselves, he quickly followed up with the enactment of the much talked about Anti open grazing prohibiting law.
On his part, governor Ahmed Nasir EL-RUFAI of Kaduna State announced in a press conference that he had gone outside the shores of Nigeria to pay monetary compensation to foreign fulanis for the killing of their cattle and men by Southern Kaduna people.

On his part, President Buhari kept forging ahead with his plans for the comprehensive launching of the cattle colonies grazing policy for his fellow Fulani kinsmen despite stiff opposition from other tribes and nationalities of Nigeria.
The stage was therefore set for more deadly clashes with the Fulani heardsmen where the indigenous owners of the land across the various communities refused to relinquish their ancestral lands for the Fulani-only cattle policy.
As a consequence of these clashes many villages and communities were sacked by the fulanis who in turn forcefully occupied those lands.
While these communities had remained in Internally displaced camps as IDP’s to date the fulanis had become the occupation forces in such conquered territories.

While the anarchy persisted, governor Samuel Ortom who persistently carried his Lamentations to President Buhari was not only told to “go settle and live in peace with your neighbours”, but was outrightly banned from setting foot on the presidential Villa.

As the fulani herdsmen carnage persisted in the Middle Belt, Banditry and kidnapping began to ravage the North West and North Central states from 2020, getting to a climax in 2021/2022.
As a result a few of the people that can afford have left their homes to various state capitals and Abuja, abandoning the poor ones at the mercy of God and the wickedness of the bandits.

As we speak, the entire country is engulfed in a kidnapping and killing spree in a magnitude never witnessed in Nigeria, as pepetrated by young terrorists identified from their language to be fulanis by the luckiest released victims and video/audio clips.

This discourse is an attempt to highlight the level of insecurity leading up to governor Bello Matawalle’s ‘self defense’ declaration.
It also seeks to bring to the fore the level of security consciousness of both government and the various security outfits in securing the lives and property of the Nigerian citizens, the legal issues surrounding gun and firearms control. Finally, this attempt is to contribute my little quarter in ensuring awareness to the provission of a safer country for you and I in an egalitarian society where there is justice, equity, faireness and above all, a right to life for every citizen.

BELLO MATAWALLE’S FRUSTRATION
“Self defense has always been part of human survival strategy therefore as governor I will do everything possible to uphold this responsibility within the ambit of the law” – Matawalle.
Due to the level of insecurity leading to wanton destruction of life and property, the Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle recently called on the citizens to aquire and carry guns for self defense. He went further to encourage the Inspector General of police to issue firearms licences to them.
Man generally have a tendency for safety in the face of danger.
Thus as the rate of insecurity increases in the country , without commensurate protection by the armed forces, coupled with the inability of the people to defend themselves, the governor seing that the people have been abandoned at the mercy of the mercy of the killer terrorists had no alternative than to call on the citizens to posses guns and firearms for self defense. Like him or hate him, governor Matawalle just like Samuel Ortom cannot afford to standby to watch his people being killed on daily basis.

Highlighting the increasing level of insecurity leading up to Matawalle’s ‘self defense’declaration, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Matthew Hassan Kukah has been unrelenting in calling on the Buhari led APC government to be up to its responsibility of good governance and the protection of life and property.
For these relentless efforts Bishop Kukah had been criticize and ostracized severally by the same North that is now bleeding from self inflicted wounds.

IMPLICATION OF MATAWALLE’S SELF DEFENSE DECLARATION
This declaration is not only seeking to save lives, but a direct indictment of the federal government of General Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to protect Nigerians. The list is inexhaustible :
(1) Symptoms of a failed state.
(2) Indictment of federal government.
(3) APC failure to fulfill just one of its 3 major manifestoes.
(4) Personal Failure of Buhari as a former military General, Military head of state, and commander in chief before becoming a civilian president.
(5) Failure of the Armed forces of Nigeria to carry out it’s primary functions of securing life and property of Nigerians in Nigeria.
(6) Invitation to anarchy and lawlessness.
(7) Influx and proliferation of Firearms into Nigeria.
(8) Militarization of Nigeria.
(9) A prelude to the emergence of warlords, and balkanization of Nigeria.
(10) Influx of militia/terrorists groups into Nigeria.
(11) The creation of an Afghanistan or Libya type in Nigeria.
(12) It costs #400,000.00 to #500,000.00 to purchase an AK47. At these hard times of paucity of funds, I wonder how many people people can afford a gun.
(13) Who does the training on use of firearms ?

WHAT DOES THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION SAY ?
The idea of gun possession in a Nigeria of today looks not only appealing but also a deterrant to a would be terrorist.
However, the existing laws of the federation of Nigeria do not provide for a right to gun possession.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which provides for the actionable and non – actionable rights of Nigerian citizens is silent on the rights to the possession of guns and firearms.
In the same manner the constitution do not also expressly prohibit the possession of firearms by private citizens.

THE FIREARMS ACT 1959
The Laws relating to the possession of firearms in Nigeria are the Firearms Act and the Firearms Regulation.
These laws make provision for, and regulate the possession of, and dealing in firearms and ammunition.
Section 3 of the Firearms Act provides that “No person shall have in his possession or under his his control any firearms or ammunition except in accordance with a licence granted by the president acting in his discretion”, or the Inspector General of Police. Further more, the criteria and qualifications for granting the license is expressly laid out in the 1959 Firearms Control Act.

CONCLUSION
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state is right after all for requesting the IG to grant gun license to people of his state who desire to have such for self defense.
This is more so especially at a time that the military is likely overwhelmed by the activities of terrorists, armed bandits, and gun men in the country.
The Firearms Act and the Firearms Regulation both contain salient provisions on the sale, purchase, transfer, importation.
It is hoped that more state governors will join Bello Matawalle in calling for their citizens to posses guns for self defense.
This may likely go a long way in curbing the menace of the so called bandit gunmen.

Peace ? and OBIdient
29/6/2022

HURIWA uncovers smear campaign against ex-COAS Buratai 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Wednesday, said it has uncovered a systematically hatched and well coordinated media campaign by some Abuja moneybags who have insisted on smearing the reputation of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.). 

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, urged the media not to fall for the sponsored coordinated attacks against Buratai despite that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission has not indicted him of any corruption allegation. HURIWA regrets that some online media have already been bribed to disseminate falsehoods against General Buratai. 

Recall that the ICPC busted the Wuse house of a military contractor and made some startling discoveries but despite that the anti-graft agency made clarifications as to the owner of the house, some groups have continued to call on ICPC to change the outcome of the investigation so as to name Buratai as the owner in clear violations of the global best practices and the ethics. These groups are apparently purchased and paid by the said retired military General who is a senior Aide of President Muhammadu Buhari.  

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “We have on good authority that a retired military general working directly in the office of President Muhammadu Buhari  has been sponsoring a campaign of calumny against retired Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai with a criminal attempt to link his name with the ownership of the house in Wuse in which it was said that ICPC found some amount from a military defence contractor. 

“HURIWA also have on good authority that the retired military officer in Presidency allegedly released N10 million to some Abuja and Lagos-based groups with extensive contacts within the Nigerian press to continue the campaign of calumny against General Buratai all in an attempt to sully his image. The reason for doing is his perception that Lt.Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai may have been pencilled down as potential running mate to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress given that the former Army Chief since retiring has devoted substantial part of his time and resources supporting and building up the All Progressives Congress in all nooks and cronies of the North East, North West and North Central regions of Nigeria and is not known to be fanatically attached to his religion but he is a profoundly regarded nationalist.” 

“The retired general is apparently threatened by the rising profile of General Buratai has he is being pencilled down as potential running mate to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The military retired General who is bankrolling this campaign of calumny is also accused of several heists of public funds which he has denied publicly. 

“HURIWA warned that civil society organisations should live by the ethics of professional conducts and not be used by moneybags to achieve selfish motives. Besides, HURIWA said a coalition of activists determined to restore sanity and professional ethics of the media practice are meeting to institute a class suit to try to stop some notorious media houses from spreading fake news.” 

“General Buratai is also encouraged to pursue legal action against defamatory reports against his person.”

June 29, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).