The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to put an end to alleged intimidation, harassment and attack of the organisation by the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as the threat of arrest of its directors and employees.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare made this call in a statement issued on Monday after some officers from the DSS allegedly invaded its Abuja office, requesting to see their directors without any prior notification.
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Oluwadare claimed that the raid on the organisation’s office occurred after they urged President Tinubu and his government to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the unauthorised increase in the pump price of petrol and to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged corruption and mismanagement within the NNPCL.
He described the invasion of SERAP’s office by the DSS and the harassment and intimidation of its staff members as a brutal assault on the entire human rights community in the country.
The Deputy Director stressed that the escalating crackdown on human rights, and harassment and intimidation of non governmental organisations and human rights defenders that have shown astonishing courage in their human rights work, hurt those in need, undermine access of Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses to justice and contribute to a culture of impunity of perpetrators.
The SERAP deputy director, while maintaining that the government must support and protect civil society groups and human rights defenders, expressed grave concern about the growing restrictions on civic space and the brutal crackdown on the rights of Nigerians.
Oluwadare said, “President Tinubu must urgently instruct appropriate authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate the invasion of our offices and to bring to justice those involved.
“Nigerian authorities must allow SERAP to freely carry out our mandates as recognised under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
“Nigerian authorities must end the harassment and intimidation attacks against SERAP and ensure the safety and security of our staff.
“If the Tinubu government does not take all necessary measures to immediately end the intimidation and harassment of SERAP or any other civil society group for that matter, SERAP will take appropriate legal action nationally and internationally to challenge the brutal crackdown and hold the authorities to account for their constitutional and international human rights obligations.”
The civil society organisation pledged to continue working towards challenging any attempt to restrict, silence, or eliminate the voices of credible civil society in the country.
“We urge the presidency to speak out strongly against intimidation and harassment of SERAP and our staff.
“Under the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and international human rights law, everyone whose rights are violated is entitled to a right to an effective remedy. Exposing human rights violations and seeking redress largely depends on the degree of security enjoyed by civil society groups and human rights defenders.
“While some may not like to hear some of the things SERAP has said, this in no way justifies the invasion of our office and harassment and intimidation of our staff members. The authorities should commit to protecting the right to freedom of expression and guarantee conditions for civil society to flourish,” he stated.
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