Amnesty International (AI) says the proposed recipients
of the human rights award by the Onitsha, Anambra state, branch of
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are undeserving of the
awards.
In a statement on Monday, AI described the recipients as “human
rights violators” whose actions it says “bring up memories of
torture and other forms of cruel and unlawful treatment”.
It added that the event, which it described as “offensive and
despicable”, is allowed to hold, “it will mark a dark and tragic
moment in the history of the struggle for the defense and promotion
of human rights in Nigeria which the NBA has invested its efforts,
time and resources over the years.”
The recipients of the awards were listed to include James
Nwafor, former commander of the Special Anti robbery Squad( SARS),
Awkuzu, Anambra; Sunday Okpe, current commander of SARS, Awkuzu;
Mike Okiro, chairman, police service commission; Fasugba Temitope,
divisional police officer, Asaba (former DPO at Central Police
Station, Onitsha) among others.
The recipients are said to have been selected “for an award for
their individual contributions in defense of human rights and for
having staked their lives in the fight against human rights
violation”.
But AI, in its statement, said “the list of the prospective
awardees is replete with certain persons the mere mention of their
names in the community of human rights defenders and indeed, in any
civilised clime will elicit disgust and angst due to their
involvement and roles in several cases of egregious human rights
violations for which they are yet to be brought to account in
accordance with the law and in line with Nigeria’s obligation under
international human rights standards.”
“Nigerian Bar Association Onitsha branch plans to give awards to
human rights violators whose action still bring up memories of
torture and other forms of cruel and unlawful treatment,” the
statement read.
“This is a disgrace to the Nigerian bar and the Onitsha NBA must
be called up to retrace its despicable step.
“For the purpose of clarity, James Nwafor’s time as the Commander
of SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State was characterised by unspeakable
human rights atrocities.
“During his reign at SARS, Amnesty International carried out
research on incidences of torture for two different periods (2014
and 2016) and produced damning reports which were widely circulated
in Nigeria and abroad.
“The two reports not only indicted James Nwafor, but found that
SARS Awkuzu under him was the headquarters of human rights
violations, particularly torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment and extrajudicial executions.
“The Amnesty International’s Report of 2014 captioned “WELCOME
TO HELL FIRE”, and that of 2016 Captioned “YOU HAVE SIGNED YOUR
DEATH WARRANT both contain gory details of many egregious
violations of human rights by officials of SARS under CSP James
Nwafor whom the Anamabra NBA now wants to glorify.
“With regards to Mr. Mike Okiro, current Chairman of the Police
Service Commission, may we simply reproduce excerpts from a report
written by NOPRIN in 2013.”
It therefore called on the leadership of the NBA to call off the
award.
“We call on the leadership of the NBA Onitsha to shelve the idea
of this treacherous award that can best be described as a mockery
on all our efforts at promoting the human rights of our people and
improving the human rights situation in Nigeri,” the statement
read.
“The planned award is not only offensive and despicable, it will
amount to dancing on the graves of the many innocent Nigerians who
have been needlessly and unlawfully killed under the watch of James
Nwafor and his ilk.
“We also use this opportunity to reiterate our earlier call on
the Nigeria Police authorities to bring James Nwafor to account for
his numerous human rights atrocities while he held sway at Awkuzu
SARS.”
Amnesty International (AI) says the proposed recipients
of the human rights award by the Onitsha, Anambra state, branch of
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are undeserving of the
awards.
In a statement on Monday, AI described the recipients as “human
rights violators” whose actions it says “bring up memories of
torture and other forms of cruel and unlawful treatment”.
It added that the event, which it described as “offensive and
despicable”, is allowed to hold, “it will mark a dark and tragic
moment in the history of the struggle for the defense and promotion
of human rights in Nigeria which the NBA has invested its efforts,
time and resources over the years.”
The recipients of the awards were listed to include James
Nwafor, former commander of the Special Anti robbery Squad( SARS),
Awkuzu, Anambra; Sunday Okpe, current commander of SARS, Awkuzu;
Mike Okiro, chairman, police service commission; Fasugba Temitope,
divisional police officer, Asaba (former DPO at Central Police
Station, Onitsha) among others.
The recipients are said to have been selected “for an award for
their individual contributions in defense of human rights and for
having staked their lives in the fight against human rights
violation”.
But AI, in its statement, said “the list of the prospective
awardees is replete with certain persons the mere mention of their
names in the community of human rights defenders and indeed, in any
civilised clime will elicit disgust and angst due to their
involvement and roles in several cases of egregious human rights
violations for which they are yet to be brought to account in
accordance with the law and in line with Nigeria’s obligation under
international human rights standards.”
“Nigerian Bar Association Onitsha branch plans to give awards to
human rights violators whose action still bring up memories of
torture and other forms of cruel and unlawful treatment,” the
statement read.
“This is a disgrace to the Nigerian bar and the Onitsha NBA must
be called up to retrace its despicable step.
“For the purpose of clarity, James Nwafor’s time as the Commander
of SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State was characterised by unspeakable
human rights atrocities.
“During his reign at SARS, Amnesty International carried out
research on incidences of torture for two different periods (2014
and 2016) and produced damning reports which were widely circulated
in Nigeria and abroad.
“The two reports not only indicted James Nwafor, but found that
SARS Awkuzu under him was the headquarters of human rights
violations, particularly torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment and extrajudicial executions.
“The Amnesty International’s Report of 2014 captioned “WELCOME
TO HELL FIRE”, and that of 2016 Captioned “YOU HAVE SIGNED YOUR
DEATH WARRANT both contain gory details of many egregious
violations of human rights by officials of SARS under CSP James
Nwafor whom the Anamabra NBA now wants to glorify.
“With regards to Mr. Mike Okiro, current Chairman of the Police
Service Commission, may we simply reproduce excerpts from a report
written by NOPRIN in 2013.”
It therefore called on the leadership of the NBA to call off the
award.
“We call on the leadership of the NBA Onitsha to shelve the idea
of this treacherous award that can best be described as a mockery
on all our efforts at promoting the human rights of our people and
improving the human rights situation in Nigeri,” the statement
read.
“The planned award is not only offensive and despicable, it will
amount to dancing on the graves of the many innocent Nigerians who
have been needlessly and unlawfully killed under the watch of James
Nwafor and his ilk.
“We also use this opportunity to reiterate our earlier call on
the Nigeria Police authorities to bring James Nwafor to account for
his numerous human rights atrocities while he held sway at Awkuzu
SARS.”