Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Thursday warned the Federal Government not to allow former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky to die in detention.
The group in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko entitled “El-Zakzaky, Dasuki must not die in detention,” pleaded with world leaders to prevail on Buhari to respect the courts by releasing Dasuki and El-Zakzaky who have “languished in underground jails for over three years extralegally.”
The group further condemned the order by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu restricting members of IMN to the Unity Foundation in Abuja.
The statement read
“HURIWA condemned the illegal order issued by Mr. Adamu Mohammed the inspector general of police restricting public protests to only within the confines of unity fountain in Abuja as against the clear provisions of the constitution in chapter four and provisions of the constitution guaranteeing the fundamental freedoms of movement and peaceful assembly, including the binding Appellate` court’s verdict clearly stating that police don’t have any legal right to stop protests and against the most cherished values of constitutional democracy built around the tripod of freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of movement which are even guaranteed by a plethora of global human rights laws.
“Specifically, we express disbelief that the rest of the developed world had looked on as president Buhari has unleashed venoms and vicious attacks against protesters and has adopted extra-legal measures to detain citizens against binding decisions of the courts of competent jurisdiction as empowered by section 36(5) and section (6) which states: “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be
“Innocent until he is proved guilty;
“Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts.”