- Ask Buchi to respect the courts’ orders or resign
From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A group of Arewa Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Thursday sought the support of Amnesty International and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to end the alleged violation of citizens’ human rights by the Department of State Security (DSS).
They also threatened to mobilise their members to occupy the premises of the Secret Police for a peaceful protest to demand the resignation of the Director General of DSS, Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Chairman of the concerned Arewa CSOs, Adamu Aminu Musa, said the development was their way of responding to the “DSS continuous attack” on the Judiciary by defying several court orders, illegally holding Nigerian citizens in detention, thus, violating their fundamental human rights.
According to Adamu, the secret service on June 10, arrested the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele in Lagos, held him in detention for over a month without charging him to court or releasing him. Even after arraigning him before a Federal High Court, he remains in detention.
“Also in connection to Emefiele’s case, Alh. Aminu Yaro and his wife, Sa’adatu Yaro were also arrested on July 12, and have been in detention too – all against their fundamental human rights.
“Two separate Judges, their Lordships, Justice Nicholas Oweibo and Hon. Justice Edward Okpe have presided over the above cases in Lagos and Abuja on July 25 and have both granted bail to Mr Emefiele and his subsequent remand in Nigerian Correctional Service and immediate release of Alh Aminu Yaro and his wife.
“Additionally, an order restraining DSS from arresting or administering any inhuman or degrading treatment on the couple in the interim was issued.
“Despite legal interventions, the DSS has strong-headedly thrown deaf ears to the orders given by the court, refusing to release these individuals. This is a violation of human rights, maltreatment, and abuse of Nigerian citizens. The same is the case with suspended EFCC Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa who has been in detention for over a month without any charges or been released.
“All these have culminated in a bigger violation of human rights, unprofessionalism, lack of respect, and disregard for the rule of law by the DSS.
“We hereby give Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi an ultimatum of 48 hours to comply with the court and release all individuals in their facility as ordered by the court and failure to comply will attract a massive and peaceful protest. We will mobilise our youths to stop this dictatorship by Bichi and his operatives.
“The dehumanisation of Nigerians by DSS under Bichi is very much alarming and disturbing and, it calls for help from all and sundry, hence we seek the intervention of Amnesty International and National Human Rights Commission to look into Bichi’s activities with the view to saving innocent Nigerians from further degradation,” he appealed.