OWERRI — ANGRY reactions have continued to trail the recent harassment and intimidation of Ikemba Nnewi, Dim-Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, by officers and men of the State Security Service (SSS). In a four-page press statement signed by its Director, South-East zone, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) called on the Federal Government “to put its security hounds on leash,” as well as “guarantee the protection of Chief Ojukwu’s fundamental rights.”
While the CLO conceded to security agencies in Nigeria the right and powers to invite any citizen for questioning in connection with any alleged or suspected offence, it however expressed belief that such powers must be exercised within the ambits of due process of law.
"It is a clear act of abuse of power and breach of Chief Ojukwu’s fundamental rights to fair hearing and due process, for the SSS to merely invite him to see the SSS Director in Abuja, without informing him of any offence he may have committed,” CLO fumed.
Continuing, the human rights organisation insisted that “Chief Ojukwu is a statesman who deserves to be treated with decency, stressing that he is a personality who is held in very high esteem by membersof his ethnic nationality. Above all, as a personality whom majority of members of his Igbo ethnic nationality perceive as epitomising and symbolising their aspirations, it is provocative to attempt to harass or touch him for expressing an opinion in support of the non-violent activities of an organisation legitimately agitating for a better deal from the Nigerian federation of which it is a part and which it believes, it has contributed immensely to its development and cohesion,” CLO stated.
According to CLO, “arresting Chief Ojukwu and bringing him to harm, may send the wrong signal and even lend credence to charges of persecution, oppression and other injustices against Igbo, which the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has consistently alleged against the Obasanjo government.”
The South-East zone of CLO also condemned “Federal Government’s increasing display of intolerance for criticisms of its anti-people policies and fascist style of governance; its arrogant posture towards governance and the cowardly resort to intimidation and violence to silence its critics and perceived opponents.” They particularly mentioned the “repressive attack on the offices of Insider Magazine by the SSS and described it as “a clear and dangerous signal that Nigeria is returning to the dark days of military brigandage,” when media houses were incessantly vandalised and journalists attacked for publishing so-called anti-government materials.” It is most despicable that under constitutional rule, the government could ignore civilised means of seeking redress, circumvent the law and resort to crude violence to settle scores.
There are sufficient provisions in our laws to deal with libel and other grievances, which the government may feel against any medium of information or journalist for publishing what the government may consider offensive,” CLO fumed. While insisting that “it is only a despotic government, bereft of commitment to transparency, probity and accountability that resents vibrant media and critical assessment,” CLO also stated that “the attack on Insider Magazine is a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression and free speech, which form part of the cardinal benchmarks of democracy and responsible governance.”
