odumakin and Sowore
The Centre for Change has condemned the Nigeria Police Force’s actions in whisking away Comrade Omoyele Sowore from the Magistrate Court, Abuja, after he was granted bail, describing it as “unlawful” and “undemocratic”.
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, Director of the Centre for Change, asserted that the police’s actions were a clear usurpation of the constitutional responsibility of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
“One would have expected that the Nigeria Correctional Service take custody of a defendant that fails to perfect his or her bail,” she said.
She continued: “But to our greatest surprise, the police usurped such constitutional responsibility of Correctional Service, it is the most irresponsible and unlawful act of a law enforcement agency.”
Odumakin emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, guarantee the rights of everyone to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“Democratic governance in Nigeria was birthed with the blood of innocent citizens and patriots, whose blood continues to seek for justice, deepening democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” she said.
The Centre for Change therefore called on the federal government to follow the rule of law and abide by the decisions of the court to release Sowore and other protesters that were arrested.
“There is no democracy without the right of dissenting voices as protest is never a crime,” Dr. Odumakin said. “There is a rise in human rights violation in Nigeria and this is antithetical to democratic governance.”
Odumakin’s statement highlights the growing concerns about human rights violations in Nigeria, and the need for the government to respect the rights of citizens to express themselves and assemble peacefully.
