6th August,
2022
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC
TO AMOTEKUN: RESPECT RIGHTS OF ARRESTED NORTHERNERS
An Islamic human
rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has advised the South
West security outfit, Amotekun, to respect the fundamental human rights of
Northern travellers arrested on Tuesday, 2nd August, 2022. MURIC
also asked the authorities of Amotekun to observe professional decorum in the
matter and to allow the rule of law to prevail. In addition, the group advised South
West governors to strengthen Amotekun and improve the welfare of its
operatives.
MURIC gave the
advice in a statement issued on Saturday, 6th August, 2022 by its
director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
“About 140
Northerners comprising of men, women and children were arrested in Ibadan by
the South West security outfit popularly known as Amotekun on Tuesday, 2nd
August, 2022. Reports reaching us indicate that those arrested are still with
the Amotekun in Oyo State, under the commandant, Colonel Olayinka Adeyanju.
“Yet another
report in a leading newspaper today, Saturday, 6th August, 2022 says
151 travellers coming from Kano, Katsina and Jigawa were also arrested in Ondo
State. Among this second group were five women. The commandant of Amotekun in
Ondo State, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed the arrest.
“While we acknowledge the right of security outfits
to ensure the safety of lives and properties in their areas of jurisdiction, we
call attention to the need to observe professional decorum in the matter and to
allow the rule of law to prevail. The fundamental human rights of all
travellers must also be respected.
“For example, it
will appear that fundamental rights have been infringed if those arrested in
Ibadan, Oyo State, since Tuesday are still in some detention of any kind. Even
the police cannot detain a citizen for more than 24 hours.
“Section 23 of the Police Act stipulates
that suspects cannot be detained beyond 24 hours after which the person should
be charged to court in conformity with the basic constitutional rights of
citizens. All arrested Northerners should therefore be granted bail or arraigned
in a court of law.
“Besides, the offence committed by these Northerners have not been
properly explained. Nobody has caught any weapon with them. The main allegation
has been that they moved in groups or large number. But if they were travelling
in trucks, could they have moved in singles and in twos and threes?
“How can you stop a truck loaded
with passengers and accuse them of moving in groups? How else could they have
moved? Are we saying trucks should not convey more than one or two passengers? Our
security outfits should get their acts together. Is it because those people
have no money to board commercial cars and luxurious buses?
“They may be victims of the violence ravaging the North. The fact that women
and children are among them shows that they may be innocent Northerners looking
for how to make ends meet. They are already in Yorubaland in their hundreds as gate
men, motor cyclists (okada riders), shoe-menders, dustbin carriers, etc. They
do menial jobs but that is not a crime.
“How many times has Amotekun
stopped luxurious buses moving up north or down south from the South East or
South South? Security outfits need to be more careful so that they would not be
accused of ethnic profiling. Or is that what it really is?
“We remind Amotekun and other security outfits that freedom of movement
is enshrined in Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria which says inter alia, ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to
move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof…’
“Section 42 of the same Constitution also frowns at stereotyping any
tribe or religious group and restricting their movement. It says inter alia:
‘A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin,
sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a
person be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any
law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the
government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of
other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religion or political
opinions are not made subject.
“In addition, Article 13 of the United Nations
Charter of Human Rights to which Nigeria is a signatory guarantees right to
freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state and to leave
and enter one's country.
“Nigerians of all
ethnicities should therefore be allowed to move freely within the borders of
this country without being harassed or intimidated. Only the law breakers should
be apprehended and dealt with according to the law of the land. But mere travelling
in ‘groups’ is not enough and it is not even an offence. Amotekun should not be
too eager to arrest people of certain regions. It is individuals who commit
crime, not their tribes.
“It amounts to stigmatisation and intimidation. Such
action endangers the safety of Yorubas and other Southerners who often travel
up North and do business over there. More importantly, this is the wrong time
for Yorubas to stereotype Northerners. An ethnic group which has one of its own
seeking the highest position in the country cannot afford to turn hostile towards
people of another tribe, least of all people from Asiwaju’s support base. The
Yorubas need everyone on board in the Asiwaju project.
“The security of
Yorubaland is of paramount importance just as the security of all other parts
of the country. This should not be compromised. At the same time, Yorubaland
should not become a persecution ground for other tribes so that Yorubas in
other places may not be targeted for retaliatory measures.
“We do not support criminality
and we want peace everywhere in the country. But our security agents must
respect the rule of law as they chase criminals without making innocent people
to suffer, without encroaching on Allah-given fundamental rights of any citizen
and without focusing on any particular tribe.
“Governments of the South West should strengthen Amotekun
in terms of manpower and equipment. Cities are conquered by numbers. Amotekun
in the South West needs more men. Their presence should be felt in every corner
of Yorubaland.
“There should be at least two Amotekun corp members on
every street in every city. If the state governments can do this, bandits and
terrorists will never be able to torment the South West as they are doing in
the North. South West governors must demonstrate the political will to protect their
states by spending huge chunks of their security votes on Amotekun.
“MURIC is
particularly unhappy with the way South West governments relegated the Oodua
People’s Congress (OPC) to the background since the commencement of Amotekun.
OPC was the only indigenous security network that confronted the military junta
and secured Yorubaland from marauding armed robbers who tormented citizens
every night in those days.
“At this juncture,
MURIC salutes late Dr. Frederick Fasheun and Aare Gani Adams for their efforts in
founding and sustaining the security organization. This is the time OPC should
be compensated but what do we see? South West governments now prioritise the
possession of academic certificates in the recruitment of Amotekun members. It
is saddening. State governments in Yorubaland should recruit OPC members in
large numbers and let the citizens see them on every street. Security is
serious business. It is not a tea party.”
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern,
(MURIC)
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