A pro-democracy and non-governmental organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has raised alarm that the Nigeria police, under Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kpodum Idris is on the steady but toxic path to destroy Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
HURIWA said the ugly trend is assuming dangerous dimension by the day, making it absolutely imperative for the United Nations and World leaders to intervene to save Nigeria’s democracy from the imminent collapse which is the long term objective of the excessively repressive policing institution under the control of President Buhari through his surrogate who is the Inspector General of police.
HURIWA stated that the spate of unconstitutional, anti-democratic and repressive actions of the police targeting opposition politicians and civil rights leaders are a prelude to the larger plot to undermine the year 2019 poll.
Listing the police-induced instability in the Akwa Ibom state house of Assembly and the arrest of Mr. Deji Adeyanji and several civil rights activists in Abuja today as examples of what measures the police has put in place to herald the eventual scuttling of constitutional democracy, the group stated that all patriotic Nigerians and those who love Nigeria must speak out now to stop the full blown dictatorship from manifesting, because, according to it, the silence and inaction of World
HURIWA recalled that the Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams were arrested by the personnel of the Force in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adeyanju and others who were arrested during a protest tagged #PoliceNotPoliticians at the Force headquarters have also been arraigned at an undisclosed court in Abuja.
The group was at the Force headquarters to demand neutrality from the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The police also said it recovered from the possession of the trio some criminal defamatory comments and utterances, that is capable of inciting public disturbance, threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituted authority and breach of law and order pasted by Deji Adeyanju on his face book page.
The comments according to the police include: “We just want police to be neutral in this election”, “Police is not a department of APC”, “Police are not politicians 2019 elections in danger”, The romance between APC and the Police is unholy”, “Who killed Offa robbery Prime suspect”, Presidency, stop using police for political games”.
Other comments include: “Where’s the autopsy of Offa robbery prime suspect?”, “Police are not politicians”, Sack IGP like Osinbajo sacked Daura for invasion of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly”.
According to a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by the Force Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, they were arrested for criminal conspiracy, joint act, defamation of character, public nuisance, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, disturbance of public peace, inciting public disturbance, threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituted authority and breach of law and order.
HURIWA has, however, demanded their unconditional freedom since the right to protest is constitutionally guaranteed.
