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Deji Adeyanju Speaks after his arrest in Abuja
Deji Adeyanju, the convener of a civil society group known as Concerned Nigerians, has said he was arrested for raising concerns over the perceived politicization of the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the 2019 general elections.
He stated this on Wednesday in a statement he co-signed with the conveners of five other civil society organisations in Abuja.
The other signatories are Adebayo Raphael (Mumu Don Do Movement), Ariyo Dare Atoye, (Coalition in Defence Of Nigerian Democracy), Nwazuruahu Henry Shield (Leadership & Accountability Initiative) and Moses Paul (Mad Connect).
Adeyanju was arrested at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force where he and other activists had gone to stage a protest rally tagged: ‘Police are not Politicians’.
He said the concerns they were raising were based on the current state of affairs in the country where the Nigerian Police Force is increasingly seen as becoming a tool to be used against real and perceived political enemies of the ruling party were worsening.
The statement reads: “We gathered to express our concerns about the current state of affairs in the country where the Nigerian Police Force is increasingly becoming a tool to be used against real and perceived political enemies of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). These concerns have worsened as we have watched the institution of the Police become more and more desecrated as time passes by.
“The most recent example of this desecration is the use of officers of the Police Force to provide security cover for 5 members of the 26 member Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to cause chaos and confusion in their illegal attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House.
“Before this, we had seen the Police Force provide security cover for a few members of the Benue State House of Assembly to attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House as well.
“These events are closely allied to the deaths of Micahel Adikwu, the major suspect in the Offa robbery and Nuhu Salisu, the major suspect in the allegations against Senator Dino Melaye for gun running in Police custody. In both cases, both men have been announced dead by the police in suspicious circumstances thereby ensuring that the cases are more difficult to resolve.
“It is important to note that these deaths come at a time when Nigerians clamor for a conclusion to their trials. It is also important to note that statements made by both men absolve the major opposition figures against whom the allegations were made of any wrongdoing.
“The deaths of these men raise several questions about ability of the police to provide justice to victims of violent crimes. What are the causes of death? Did the Police conduct an autopsy? Where are the autopsy reports? At what point did the suspects die?”
“Having reviewed the above, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the Police Force as constituted under the current Inspect General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has become a threat to our democracy. IGP Idris’ penchant for bias and willingness to be used as a tool against real or perceived enemies of the ruling APC is very clear and apparent.
“It is in this light that we called on President Muhammadu Buhari to remove IGP Idris from office, institute an investigation into the invasion of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by the Police, to determine the officer(s) who gave the orders for this illegal action and to bring such officers to book, and also institute a transparent investigation into the deaths of the two prime suspects in police custody and make the findings public.
“It is important for the President to note that the continued retention of the IGP in office is likely to lead to anarchy as he constantly seeks to bend and break the very laws he swore to protect in the first place.
“President Buhari should be reminded that when the former DG of SSS directed his men to invade the National Assembly in an attempt to change the leadership, the then Acting President -Professor Yemi Osinbajo sacked Daura. We expect same treatment for the IGP in this case of invasion of the Akwa State House of Assembly.
“Nigerians must note that the tenure of the IGP has expired and if President Muhammadu Buhari insists on keeping IGP Idris in office, both men will be held responsible for any calamity that befalls the nation,” the statement concluded.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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