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Activist Condemns Raid on Okija Shrine From Agaju Madugba in Kaduna Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Mr. Festus Okoye, has condemned the recent raid on Okija shrine in Anambra state and accused the police of infringing on the religious rights of South-easterners. According to him, the police ought to have isolated certain operators of the shrine for any criminal acts instead of a clampdown on a religious institution. Okoye, who is also the Executive Director of Human Rights Monitor (HRM), spoke yesterday at a seminar on current human rights issues in Kaduna, organised by the Centre for Constructive Initiative. He reminded the police that the constitution gives every citizen the right to practise and propagate whatever religious beliefs he or she so desires. His words: "The police have no rights whatsoever to close down any shrine. They should have arrested the perpetrators of the crime rather than uproot the religious beliefs of others. "Where in this country can the police close down a church or a mosque simply because some members committed a certain crime? The police should know that Christianity and Islam are not the only religions in this country." Okoye equally listed some other acts of human rights abuse by the police to include, indiscriminate shooting of armed robbery suspects, extra-judicial executions as well failure to expedite action on the prosecution of awaiting trial persons. According to him, "the recurrent ethnic and religious conflicts in Kaduna State and the wanton destruction of lives and property pose the most urgent challenge to the right to life. The constitution is unequivocal on the fact that every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived of his life except in the execution of a sentence of a court of law." The Project Director of Centre for Constructive Initiative, Denis Onoise, had earlier explained that there were divergent opinions regarding human rights issues since the return of democratic rule in 1999. He said "while government apologists insist that human rights abuses have disappeared, members of civil society groups maintain that human rights situation has continued to deteriorate." Who Are We ? | About THISDAYOnLine.com | THISDAY People | Contact Us © Copyright 2000 Leaders & Company Limited

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