An Owerri-based, human rights group, People’s Rights Organisation (PRO) has called on the federal government and security agencies to avoid discriminatory arrest of individuals involved in ethnic profiling in Lagos State.
The executive director of PRO, Dr Christian Nwadigo, who addressed newsmen in Owerri, the state capital yesterday, picked holes in the continued arrest of the Eze Igbo of Ajao Estate in Lagos, Eze Frederick Nwajagu while Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Mr Bayo Onanuga are walking free.
Nwadigo held that the trio made inciting utterances against Igbos living in Lagos before and after the presidential and National Assembly elections and were not arrested by security agencies.
He said, “Massive disenfranchisement of voters do not constitute enjoyment of human rights, but flagrant violations of same. After voting on March 18, 2023, Mr Bayo Onanuga, a journalist
member of the APC and the director of media and publicity for Tinubu’s presidential campaign, used ethnic slurs against Nigerians of Igbo descent resident in Lagos State to steer clear of Lagos State and threatening them to refrain from ‘interference’ in future polls in the state which is construed as refraining from voting in future elections in Lagos State.
Also, controversial spokesperson of the Tinubu Presidential Council, Femi Fani-Kayode alias FFK made similar ethnic slurs of calling on the Igbo to ‘stop taking over Yoruba land’ just because the Igbo were exercising their fundamental right to vote in Lagos State.”
According to him, the continued detention of the Eze in Lagos was a violation which smirked of ethnic bias, and called for his release.
He lamented that the presidential election was characterised with irregularities without arrests saying “In areas predominantly inhabited by Igbo ballot boxes were snatched at gun point and destroyed, mayhem and terror were unleashed on all those profiled as Igbo and the security agencies offered little or no
succour, “ Nwadigo said.
Nwadigo maintained that the country’s political culture must be based on human rights values, norms and standards saying “members of every political party and their followers should be subjected to basic human rights trainings, tutelage and ensuring they internalise human rights principles, tenets, values, standards, and norms of the human rights instrument ratified by Nigeria.”
“This would enable the citizens to contribute significantly to building human culture in Nigeria. This is because research has shown that human rights framework is the ultimate guideline to chart an assured future of any forward- looking nation and it’s a powerful tool for action against the current social disintegration, poverty and intolerance prevalent in Nigeria”, he said.
The lawyer called on the president- elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to affirm hope and faith in the rule of law, equality of persons, dignity of persons, devoid of violence and bias.
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