Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Tony Ojukwu has tasked security agencies with respecting people’s rights during enforcement functions.
Ojukwu spoke on Tuesday at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference, which is taking place at the International Conference Centre in Enugu.
He stressed that security and human rights are mutually compatible and are not incompatible.
Ojukwu noted that the fact that law enforcement agencies report to the president is clear evidence that the enforcement functions must include respecting citizens’ rights during operations.
He pointed out that human security has gone beyond personal security, adding that the 1999 Constitution states sovereignty belongs to the people.
Ojukwu cautioned against practices that were being practised during the colonial period.
He added that security has gone beyond personal security, noting that we discussed human security.
“We all agreed that both security and human rights exist, they are mutually comparable, they are not incompatible”, he stated.
