How the El-Rufai Government is using Aruwan to clampdown on SOKAPU

By George Makeri

After a couple of hours at a court sitting yesterday 23 November 2021, Luka Binniyat is kept in prison custody for another two weeks. This development has shown that the El-Rufai Government is indeed using Samaila Aruwan to hit hard at SOKAPU.

The magistrate, overwhelmed by the force of Binniyat’s lawyer’s argument, insisted he needed time to collate on the issues before deciding the bail application. Meanwhile, Binniyat is to remain in prison custody.

Witnesses at the court yesterday, claimed the turnout was massive and Luka was in fine spirit. Some persons expressed skepticism the magistrate was independent, claiming the magistrate was acting by orders from above to elongate Binniyat’s stay in prison custody. Others, however, are optimistic no matter how long they detain Binniyat, good will eventually triumph over evil and Binniyat will come out stronger and better.

You will recall that Binniyat was picked on the 4 November 2021 by members of the State Investigation Bureau (SIB) on the orders of the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samaila Aruwan. Aruwan claimed Luka’s publication on Epoch Times, citing the Zone 3 Senator Danjuma Laah that he(Aruwan) is being used by the Kaduna State Government to cover up the ongoing massacres against the Southern Kaduna people by calling it a communal clash, was injurious to him and has endangered members of his family.

Interestingly, Aruwan is indeed being used to describe plain massacres against the Southern Kaduna people by murderous Fulani herdsmen Terrorists as communal clash.

How do you describe nocturnal invasion into a sleeping town by mercenaries of herdsmen Terrorists who were never residents in the areas they invade as communal clash? Communal clash largely has to do with neighbours of largely residents and not mercenaries of killer herdsmen terrorists who are complete aliens to the areas they invade leaving largely women and children killed in their sleep. Thus despite the alleged denial by Senator Danjuma Laah, it still does not negate Binniyat’s fact that the State Government is running a massive disinformation and misinformation campaigns to shield the true nature of the attacks against the Southern Kaduna people using a Southern Kaduna son (Aruwan) to give credence to the campaigns.

Though they make the Binniyat ordeal look like a misunderstanding between two brothers with one using the advantage of having the instruments of state at his disposal to use, it is infact a deliberate El-Rufai Government clampdown on SOKAPU, using Aruwan still as a front, because Binniyat is the sole scribe cum spokesperson of SOKAPU, risking it all to enter dangerous terrains of most attacked villages to get first hand information and reporting to the world. This efficiency and effectiveness of Binniyat is what the Kaduna State Government took out of circulation using the same Samaila Aruwan to give it credence and shield them from their true intention.

The instruments of state has long been reduced into personal tools for personal squabbles by the El-Rufai Government. Meanwhile, kidnappers keep kidnapping along the Kaduna Abuja road as both 21 and 22 November got some persons killed including a high profile personality, while alot more got Kidnapped. Southern Kaduna, to this day, remains an abatoir of human slaughter with no single arrest, while the El-Rufai Government is interested in elongating Luka Binniyat’s stay in prison.

Nigeria under Buhari remains on religious freedom violators watch list: U.S. Govt

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Thursday said that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari remains on its religious freedom violators watch list.

The USCIRF directly responsible for enlisting countries in the United States Special Watch List, in a statement, said it was displeased with the U.S. Department of States for removing Nigeria from its “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) designation.

“USCIRF is disappointed that the State Department did not adopt our recommendations in designating the countries that are the worst violators of religious freedom,” the statement quoted USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza as saying.

She stressed that the State Department didn’t adopt the commission’s recommendation that rightfully placed Nigeria as one of the worst violators of religious freedom.

“While the State Department took steps forward on some designations, USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed last year, as well as the omission of India, Syria, and Vietnam,” she added.

On Wednesday, the Department of State went beyond its purview to remove Nigeria from the list of religious violators without adopting recommendations of USCIRF.

Making the announcement, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that the United States Government removed Nigeria from its list of religious violators, blacklisting China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and seven other nations as countries of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

However, USCIRF faulted the report urging the State Department to reconsider its designation based on facts.

In December 2019, the U.S. government enlisted Nigeria on its “Special Watch List of countries that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.

The blacklisting came at a time when many criticised the Nigerian government over its incessant violations of court orders and the shrinking civic and media space in the country.

[Gazette]

Nigerian Army Promotes Commanding Officer, Bello Who Supervised Killing Of #EndSARS Protesters At Lekki Toll Gate

The Nigerian Army Council has approved the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel S.O. Bello, the commanding officer of the 65 Batallion, which was at the Lekki tollgate on the evening of October 20, 2020, to the rank of a Colonel.

On Monday, a report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Police Brutality, including an investigation on the Lekki massacre said protesters were killed at the tollgate in what the panel described as a massacre.

According to the report, at least nine persons were confirmed dead at the Lekki toll plaza when soldiers led by Bello stormed there to disperse #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020.
Titled, ‘Report of Lekki Incident Investigation Of 20th October 2020’, a copy of the 309-page report which was leaked said at least 48 protesters were either shot dead, injured with bullet wounds or assaulted by soldiers.

Major Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo of the 81 Division Intelligence Brigade had while appearing before the Lagos Judicial Panel in November 2020 revealed that Bello was the commander on the ground, who gave the order for the soldiers to release bullets at the toll gate.

He had said, “Bello had arrived the scene first before Omata, as the whole 81 Division Garrison had been given the mandate to secure the whole Eti-Osa corridor. Omata had left Obalende to meet up with Bello and patrol the whole area.

“When I called Bello, he said that while they were being deployed, they were attacked by hoodlums and they released some shots into the air. I also asked him if anybody had died as it is being reported over the Internet and he replied ‘negative’ that nobody had died that he had only seen two people who had fainted and were revived.

“I had called three times and after speaking with Bello, I spoke to General Omata using Bello’s phone. It was one of those instances that when I called Bello he said Omata was with him. I spoke with Omata and asked if deaths were recorded and he told me no. I called him twice and he said no, that the place had been cleared.”

Bello however refused to appear before the panel when summoned to defend all the allegations levelled against him.

When the matter was called, Jonathan Ogunsanya, one of the registrars attached to the panel, said the Kogi State-born military officer refused to receive the summons issued to him.

Military sources on Thursday said Bello, despite leading the team that unleashed mayhem on defenceless protesters, has been promoted to the rank of a Colonel.

Lt Col. S. O. Bello with full name, Salisu Ovada Bello, and Service Number–N/11249, was promoted on November 13, 2021, SaharaReporters learnt. 

“Lt Col S.O. Bello has just been promoted to the rank of a Colonel. He is the commanding officer who led the Lekki massacre,” one of the sources, a colonel told SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters learnt that the Army Council on October 28 met to approve the promotion of officers. 

It was learnt that the promotion would favour some Majors, Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels with new ranks. 

Calls put across by SaharaReporters to the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu were not answered nor returned. He had also not replied to a text message sent to his line, at the time of this report.

Credit: Saharareporters

Lekki Tollgate incident was a massacre — Lagos #ENDSARS Panel

The just concluded Lagos #EndSARS Panel of Inquiry has described the October 20, 2020 incident at the Lekki toll gate as a massacre.

The panel of inquiry also stated that contrary to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s claim that he didn’t invite soldiers to the toll gate, the governor actually invited the Nigerian soldiers who carried out a massacre against unarmed and peaceful protesters during the October 20th, 2020 EndSARS protest at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

“The panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the Lagos State government through the governor,” the just-released panel’s report stated unequivocally,

“before the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army deployed its soldiers to the Lekki Toll Gate on the night of October 20.”

Mr Sanwo-Olu had claimed that he knew nothing about how Nigerian soldiers were mobilised to the tollgate. He had repeatedly deflected any blame of what happened at the Lekki tollgate to the Nigerian Army, playing the victim that he had no control over the military force that invaded the tollgate and killed the protesters without any provocations.

The report submitted to the Lagos government on November 15, over one year after the #EndSARS protesters were massacred, pointed out that the soldiers and police shot, injured and killed protesters holding national flags and singing the national anthem at the Lekki tollgate.

Information minister Lai Mohammed had also denied any protesters’ killing on the night of October 20, 2020, accusing the peaceful demonstrators of orchestrating anarchy.

#EndSARS, a nationwide protest against police brutality championed by young Nigerians, ended on a sad note as Nigerian soldiers shot and killed protesters waving the national flag and singing the national anthem.

Credit: Gazette

BREAKING: Alheri’s Lawyers Write Vincent Bodam, Give him Seven Days to Retract Defamation Post

Lawyers to Kaduna based Human Rights Activist and Humanitarian, Alheri Magaji have written to Vincent Bodam over his ‘defamation’ post against the Activist.

In a letter written by Yusuf Dankofa & Co, counsel to Alheri and made available to Middle Belt Times on Friday evening, Alheri demanded for retraction of the said post and also a public apology from Bodam.

The letter demanded a public apology from Bodam within seven days over his Facebook post against Alheri which is deemed defamatory by the RADi co-founder.

“In view of the above, our client herein demands a retraction via the same medium and a letter of apology within the next 7 days from the day of this letter.” The letter reads

It will be recalled that Bodam made a post on the 11th of November 2021 in a Facebook group, called Gurara forum accusing Alheri of engaging in fraudulent activities using her humanitarian outfit, ‘RADi’.

RADi, a Nonprofit organization founded to cater for the needs of victims of terrorism in Southern Kaduna is known for its transparency and accountability in all its activities.

Receipts of all expenses made by the organisation are often times posted on social media, an action many have continue to hail.

Kaduna State And The Rule Of Law.

Observation by Southern Kaduna’s People in Diaspora Association Europe (SOKAPDA Europe)

“Our humanity has been compromised by those who use Gestapo tactics in our war,
The longer we stand idly while they do so, the more we resemble those ‘good Germans’ who professed ignorance of their own Gestapo”

• Frank Rich

When Frank Rich made the above quote, the Germans were watching and saying nothing when Jews were being taken to the gas chambers.

We seem to have a situation in Nigeria in general,and Kaduna state in particular, where people are saying nothing when Journalists and others are being picked up at weekends and thrown in jail before any appearance in court the following Monday.

Killings in Southern Kaduna are being explained as either revenge attacks, reprisal attacks, or communal disputes.

This line of thinking is supported by Senator Shehu Sani when he said:

“One of the reasons that sustains the violence and bloodshed in Southern Kaduna is the academic rationalization of the despicable cruelties and atrocities. Each time the word revenge is emphasized after a bloodbath, the substance of terrorists committing massacre is blurred and buried”.

It is very difficult to comprehend situations where innocent lives are wasted almost every month. This has been going on for years; yet the powers that be keep explaining these as revenge attacks or descriptions of such nature.

Given this scenario, it will appear that any citizen that tries to draw the World’s attention to this narrative is picked up and locked up before being taken to court.

The general acceptable legal process is that if a Journalist or a citizen of the state commits a crime, this should be investigated by the police and if there is evidence that a crime has been committed, the person is then charged to court and it is only the court that has the power to sentence the person to detention or prison.
Obviously, there are exceptions as we have had situations where a person is pick up mostly on a weekend and locked up until Monday before being taken to court. It is obvious that this tactic is designed to deny the rights of the individual over the weekend.

This approach is only practiced in dictatorship regimes and not in a democratic society. We strongly advise the powers that be to follow due process.

Earlier incidents seem to support the view that this approach of picking people up at weekends is practiced to inflict maximum damage. This has been a tactic that the state has been deploying over the years.

For example, in 2017, Mr. Luka Binniyat, at the time a Journalist with Vanguard Newspaper, was arrested and sent to prison over a Southern Kaduna report. As a Journalist with the Vanguard, the state government focused on him rather than looked at the organisation that published the alleged story, since Mr. Binniyat was an agent of the Vanguard Newspaper. The least the state government could have done was to join Vanguard Newspaper in the suit, but this was not the case. One may conclude that this was a case of ‘selected prosecution’.

On 17 February 2017, Mr. Audu Maikori a Lawyer and CEO of Chocolate City Entertainment was arrested on a Friday in Lagos and taken to Force Headquarters in Abuja based on a detention order signed in Kaduna. The link here again is a weekend arrest.

On 8 May 2019, Mr. Stephen Kefas was arrested in Port Harcourt for re-posting an article on Facebookand transferred from Port Harcourt to Kaduna.

Many are of the view that his real crime was being critical of the Kaduna State Government.

In other words, many are of the opinion that his detention was either political or extra – judicial. The link again here is that the powers that be made sure that he was locked up before any chance to appear before a competent court.

On 4 November 2021, Mr. Luka Binniyat was again arrested by the police and refused bail.

Again, the alleged charge against him is an article (about the massacres in Southern Kaduna) that puts some individuals in power in the State in danger.

If this is the case, then Mr. Binniyat should have been investigated by the police, and if a case is established against him, he should then be charged to court and not arrested, locked up, and denied bail.

Again, the link in this case is the lack of due process in locking him up and denying bail; We are of the view that Mr. Binniyat is not a dangerous criminal.

As we write, it has been brought to our attention that 2 of the 66 worshipers abducted on Sunday,October 31,2021, at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State have been killed by their captors.

We have also read in some of the daily newspapers that “The bandits opened fire on five of their victims on Saturday, 6 November 2021 and killed 2 while 3 others were seriously injured and are currently in the hospital”

Given the above scenario, we are surprised that this is not part of the major discussion in the scheme of things.

Some food for thoughts:

“Beware the abuse of power. Both by those we disagree with, as well as those we may agree with”

• Benjamin Carson

“Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power”

• James Madison

Long live federal republic of Nigeria
Long live people of Kaduna State
Long live men and women of good will.

Southern Kaduna’s People in Diaspora Association Europe (SOKAPDA Europe)

8 November 2021

HURIWA CONDEMNS DETENTION OF LUKA BINIYAT IN KADUNA

Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Kaduna State police Command to release forthwith the National publicity secretary of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union Mr. Luka Biniyat.
HURIWA said the reported detention for over five days of the senior Southern Kaduna born Journalist and activist on the alleged order of the State Commissioner for internal security on the accusation of defamation, amounted to abuse of power.
Specifically, the Kaduna State commissioner for internal security Mr. Samuel Aruwan had on November 7th 2021 alluded to his role in the detention of Mr. Luka Biniyat in a briefing he gave to journalists in Kaduna as follows:
“I wish to address you this afternoon on recent disturbing allegations leveled against me, amounting to defamation of character, injurious falsehood and incitement of public disturbance. 
On 29th October 2021, my attention was drawn to an online publication authored by one Luka Binniyat. In this publication, Mr. Binniyat quoted Senator Danjuma Laah of the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, as stating that I am being used to cover up genocide against Christians in Southern Kaduna. 
Before questioning the veracity of the purported statement, I am supremely concerned first, for the implications of such a statement on the peace and security of our state, because of the religious and ethnic sentiments it has conveyed.
Furthermore, as a passionate journalist on leave of absence in public service, I am acutely aware of the burden of professional responsibility which must accompany accurate reportage for the consumption of the public”, Mr. Aruwan claimed. 
HURIWA has however faulted the resort to self-help by the Kaduna State Commissioner for internal security for purportedly deploying the services of the Kaduna State Police Command to clamp into detention someone he accused of defaming his person instead of following the due process of law.
HURIWA argued that the principle of rule of law makes it incumbent that he who alleges must prove his allegations in the competent court of law and not through what seemed like the manipulation of state security apparatus to pursue personal matters. 
HURIWA quoted the Black’s Law Dictionary, to have affirmed that “Defamation” means “Holding up of a person to ridicule, scorn or contempt in a respectable and considerable part of the community; may be criminal as well as civil”. 
HURIWA asserts that Defamation is the unprivileged publication of false statements which naturally and proximately result in injury to another. A communication is defamatory if it tends so to harm the reputation of another as to lower him in the estimation of the community or to deter third persons from associating or dealing with him. The meaning of a communication is that which the recipient correctly, or mistakenly but reasonably understands that it was intended to express. It is important to note that Libel and Slander are both methods of Defamation, the former being expressed by print, written pictures or signs: the latter by oral expressions or transitory gestures Defamatory Statements may consist of libel (written publication) and slander”.
HURIWA cited the case of AYUBA v. SULE (2016) LPELR-40263(CA) whereby it was held that “The first requirement that is essential in slander is malice. To succeed in a case of slander, the plaintiff must prove-the words spoken, communication of the words to a third person, falsity of the communication against the plaintiff, damage must be proved except the slander is actionable per se, the actual words spoken should be reproduced in the language spoken with an English translation. AMAHAGWU V. NGWOKOR (2004) ALL FWLR (PT.219) 1091 AT 1098, YESUFU V. GBADAMOSI (1993) 6 NWLR (PT.299) 363. In THE SKETCH PUBLISHING CO. LTD. AND ANOR. V. ALHAJI AZEEZ A. AJAGBEMOKEREF(1989) 1 NWLR (PT. 100) 678I, the word defamation is defined as “a statement which if published of and concerning a person, is calculated to lower him in the estimation of right thinking men or cause him to be shunned or avoided or to expose him to hatred, contempt, or ridicule or to convey an imputation on him disparaging or injurious to him in his office, profession, calling, trade or business.” The Rights group therefore expressed consternation that the Kaduna State internal security commissioner is attempting to elevate his personal civil matter into a matter between citizen Luka Biniyat and his agency which is absolutely unlawful and unconstitutional.  
“According to a plethora of decided cases, it has been held that in order to succeed in an action for defamation, a plaintiff must prove that the libel or slander has been published, that is communicated to some other person or persons other than the plaintiff himself. See UGO V. OKAFOR (1996) 3 NWLR (PT. 438) 542 AT 560”, HURIWA asserted. 

HURIWA has also condemned the illegal detention of Luka Biniyat beyond the time frame allowed undet the law. 
HURIWA said: “”The 1999 Nigerian constitution clearly states that persons arrested or detained shall be brought before a court within a “reasonable time”. According to the constitution, the reasonable time means a period of 24 hours when a court of competent jurisdiction is within a radius of 40 kilometres to the police station or a period of two days in any other case.
Section 35(4) of the 1999 constitution states that: “Any person who is arrested or detained in accordance with subsection (1) (c) of this section shall be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time, and if he is not tried within a period of – (a) two months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who is in custody or is not entitled to bail; or (b) three months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who has been released on bail, he shall (without prejudice to any further proceedings that may be brought against him) be released either unconditionally or upon such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears for trial at a later date. Subsection 5 states that: “In subsection (4) of this section, the expression “a reasonable time” means – (a) in the case of an arrest or detention in any place where there is a court of competent jurisdiction within a radius of forty kilometres, a period of one day; and (b) in any other case, a period of two days or such longer period as in the circumstances may be considered by the court to be reasonable.” Section 61 (1) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 agrees with the provisions of the constitution while stating that a suspect arrested without a court warrant, other than a capital offence, should be granted bail, where it is impracticable to charge to court within 24 hours.”
HURIWA therefore is demanding the immediate release from illegal police detention of Mr. Luka Biniyat since the plaintiff himself decided to take the law into his hand rather than follow the due process of the law by personally instituting either a civil or criminal case against the Defendant and accord him all the rights and privileges of fair hearing as provided for by the Grund Norm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Luka Biniyat: SOKAPU Youth Call for release of veteran journalist

The Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union SOKAPU has called for the immediate release of journalist Luka Biniyat from detention. Biniyat, who is also the National spokesman of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union was on Thursday arrested by men of the state investigation bureau in Kaduna over a news article he wrote for a US newspaper, Epoch Times.

In a statement signed by its National Youth leader, Isaac John and made available to journalists on Monday morning, the group said it is ‘greatly pained’ by the development.

The statement reads in full;

The SOKAPU YOUTH WING is greatly pained and disturbed by the events leading to the arrest of the spokesperson of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) Mr Luka Biniyat.

Without wanting to dive into details or attempting to throw blames considering the parties involved.

The Youth Wing is unequivocally urging the petitioner Mr Samuel Aruwan The Honorable Commissioner of Home and Internal Security to as a matter of necessity withdraw his petition and ensure the release of Mr Luka Biniyat.

This is imperative because his petition no matter how justifiable is uncalled for and stands to achieve little or nothing but to showcase the regions dirty linings in public.

We must learn to deploy our mights in defense of the Southern Kaduna People and not in victimization of the Southern Kaduna People.

Southern Kaduna at this time is faced with existential threats and therefore needs all hands on deck not behind bars.

We therefore call on all and sundry to water down the embers of hate and embrace Love, as Love and Unity is the only panacea to development and prosperity.

God bless Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU)

God bless Southern Kaduna.

Mailafia puts out his heart, soul, sweat, blood & faith in everything -Ballason

A Human Rights Lawyer, Barrister Gloria Ballason has described the late Dr Obadiah Mailafia, former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as an extraordinary human.

In a soul touching tribute, the advocate of justice and good governance said Mailafia has ascended to the heavens where servants of God reside forever.

The tribute reads;

“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.”

My dearest O.M., now that was a courageous life! You put it all out there – heart, soul, sweat, blood, faith, excellence… everything! What a life of extraordinary commitment, brilliance, intelligence and then some more.

Like the patriarchs gone before us, you chose to share and stand against the sufferings of the innocent rather than the fleeting pleasures and corruptible treasures of this earth. Like David you have served the purpose of God for your generation and have now fallen…asleep.

You will now ascend to the place where kings, paupers, victors, villains, tyrants …all go! But in your case, there is a clear difference:

You are going home to a city whose builder and maker is the Just one. A Book will be opened and you will see the record of every act of sacrifice and your golden acts of courage and convictions against injustice.

You will stand before the Righteous Judge O.M. and having listened intently to your wife about your last moments, I know you will stand unashamed.

So let me thank you for the invaluable gift of your friendship and for obeying the Creation mandate to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth for indeed, you are leaving behind a more replenished world than you met it. You have left behind in your mortal body indelible marks and our generations will follow in them and the trail of the dust you leave behind.

Your works as a peerless international civil servant, ivy league scholar, writer of writers, advocate of truth, lifetime pursuer of excellence will continue to light and inspire us. WE WILL NOT STOP until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a never failing stream.

Lokaci ya kai. Dr. Obadiah Mailafia , ka sauka lafiya ka kuma idar min da sakon gaisuwa da alheri ga mahaifi na, my beloved dad who left five days before you and who I am sure will show you round those golden streets.

Goodbye dearest big brother, friend, mentor and kindred spirit. I will see you on some bright and cloudless morning. Thank you OM. THANK YOU!!!

From Mabeiam (as you loved to call me)

HURIWA TO EFCC-: LYING ABOUT INVADING MARY ODILI’S HOUSE MAKES YOU A POLITICAL WITCH-HUNT AGENCY

Prominent pro-democracy and Civil Rights Advocacy Group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has carpeted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for lying that it never invaded the Maitama home of the Supreme Court of Nigeria Justice Mrs. Mary Odili for over 5 hours.

The Rights group said telling lie about the exercise in which EFCC participated as disclosed by report from the Chief magistrate court makes the EFCC a tool for political WITCH-HUNT. HURIWA also condemns the federal ministry of justice for cooking up lies which deceived the Chief magistrate in Abuja to issue a search warrant at the home of the reverred jurist of the highest court in the land. HURIWA wonders why this federal government has continued to embarass, harass, intimidate and torture justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by using armed security forces to invade their privacy with the aim of getting them to become afraid and to do the bidding of the executive arm of government. 

In a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf,  HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) condemns the raid on the premises of the Supreme Court’s Justice Mrs. Mary Odili whose husband, former Rivers State’s governor Mr. Peter Odili belonged to the main opposition political party- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and who had only just defeated the Nigerian Immigration Service in the competent court of law and retrieved his international travelling document which was seized at the International Airport Abuja. 

Reacting to the news of the siege at the home of Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili the Rights group said it was unfortunate that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has become a full blown dictatorship going by the patterns of horrendous attacks of persons perceived as not pliable or amenable to be used as instruments of vendetta and political witch hunt.

The Rights group said Mrs. Mary Odili may have been targeted not just for being the wife of a prominent elder of the main opposition political party of the Peoples Democratic Party but most likely because of her consistency in giving sound, qualitative, merit and law based judgments at the Supreme Court of Nigeria particularly in some cases that the ruling All Progressive Congress may have vested interest. 

“We think the military invasion was aimed at harassing her into playing the role of the good puppet of the President because the officials of the Federal government are aware of her pedigree and her reputation as a no nonsense judge who renders judgement based on facts, evidence and the laws “, HURIWA affirmed.

Besides,  HURIWA condemns the federal government for authorising the raid and the dangerous siege at the home of the reverred jurist of the highest court in the land going by the disclosure made by the Chief magistrate in Abuja to the effect that the Justice ministry in Abuja lied to obtain a search warrant which the armed agencies relied upon to collectively invade the home of the Supreme Court Justice in Maitama Abuja and interrupted the free flow of traffic of hundreds of Nigerians. 

Citing media report, HURIWA recalled that a Chief Magistrates’ Court had revoked a search warrant granted to the Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice to search the home of Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili. 

HURIWA recalled that the panel, which comprises the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Justice, had obtained a search warrant from the magistrates’ court after a so called whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, claimed to have observed illegal activities going on at No. 9, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja. 

Umar’s affidavit dated October 13, 2021, read in part, “I have observed some illegal activities going on in those houses within Abuja are illegal and hereby report the said matter to the law enforcement agency. “I hereby state that all information provided by me to the EFCC is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.” in a second affidavit deposed to by a senior police officer, CSP Lawrence Ajodo, the panel applied to the chief magistrate in Abuja seeking a search warrant to search the house.

HURIWA recalled that the Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, who subsequently approved the search warrant on October 29, 2021 later revoked it claiming that the Applicants for the search warrants deceived him into issuing the search warrants going by what he termed misrepresentation. 

Similarly, HURIWA condemned the EFCC who through its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said, in a statement, that the commission had no hand in the matter and advised members of the public to disregard any news to the contrary.

The statement read in part, “The attention the EFCC has been drawn to claims in a section of the media that operatives of the commission today, October 29, 2021 stormed the Maitama, Abuja home of a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, purportedly to execute a search.

“The commission, by this statement, wishes to inform the public that the report is false as it did not carry out any operation at the home of Justice Odili. If there was any such operation as claimed by the media, it was not carried out by the EFCC. The commission enjoins the public to discountenance the report.” 

HURIWA has therefore called on the EFCC to apologise publicly to Nigerians for lying that it never participated in the raid because the information made available to the Nigerian public from the Chief magistrate shows otherwise that the EFCC was in the team of armed security invaders of the home of Justice Mary Odili. 

HURIWA is therefore demanding that strong sanctions are slammed on the individuals who lied under oath to obtain by trick the search warrant that the armed team relied on to invade the premises of the Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria just as the Rights group said if the Federal government fails to charge for perjury the persons who got the search warrant on the basis of falsehood, it will then become notorious that we now have a bunch of persons in the Federal Government who are not only professional liars but are persons who are totally unfit to occupy any position of responsibility in the twenty first century Nigeria.