NHRC summons FCT agency boss – TheNigerialawyer

The National Human Rights Commission says it has summoned the
Chairman of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board to appear
before it on Monday in relation to alleged raids of nightclubs and
relaxation centres in the Federal Capital Territory.

A statement by a senior official of the commission, Mr. Lambert
Oparah, stated on Saturday that the summons followed a petition
received by the commission.

The statement added, “The summons followed a protest visit to
the Commission on Friday by a coalition of Civil Society
Organisations working in the field of human rights in Nigeria which
brought a petition of gender-based rights violations against the
authorities of the FCTA and the Nigerian Police.

“The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, issued
the summons upon receiving a statement of demand by the CSOs led by
the Executive Director Partner West Africa, Kemi Okenyodo.”

The statement indicated that the NHRC boss vowed that said no
human rights violations would be swept under the carpet.

Ojukwu was said to have vowed that the commission would ensure
that justice was done on the case of the alleged raids and
gender-based violence against women in Abuja “by agents of the
Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Nigerian
Police.”

He said if there any situation warranting the relevant
authorities to carry out raids, such must be carried out within the
confines of the law, devoid of gender-based violence, including
rape as alleged by victims of the said raids.

Earlier, the Executive-Director of Partner West Africa,
Okenyodo, who led a coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations in
Nigeria, called on the Federal Government to prioritise the
promotion and protection of the human rights obligations which it
voluntarily acceded in the interest of justice and human
rights.

She also called on the Office of the Vice President to
immediately issue a directive to all government agencies involved
to cease the raids against women on suspicion of sex work as well
as rein in the Abuja Environment Protection Board to discharge its
mandate in line with the Act establishing it.

In his remarks, the representative of the Inspector-General of
Police, Usman Umar, said it was the duty of the police to maintain
law and order while protecting the rights of citizens.

He said that the police were looking into the allegations of
human rights violations with a view to ensuring that justice was
done.

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