As millions of Nigerian voters step out tomorrow, February 25, 2023, to participate in the most significant presidential election since 1960, operatives of the security forces especially the Army, Police and Department of State Services (DSS) have been cautioned not to commit extra-legal execution of citizens including even those in conflict with the law who are not direct threats to their lives.
Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) says it it concerned about trending videos on the social media in which soldiers were threatening to kill snatchers of ballot boxes during the poll.
HURIWA said it is unlawful, unconstitutional and a crime against humanity for security forces to disregard their rules of engagements governing all Internal Security Operations and go ahead in trigger happy episodes of extrajudicial killings of Nigerians on the election as a demonstration of the so-called show of strength.
HURIWA said Section 33(1) of the 1999 constitution makes Right to life sacrosanct and prohibits unlawful execution of offenders absolutely unless authorised by Courts of law.
Besides, HURIWA blasted the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba for infringing on the constitutional fundamental Human Rights of freedom of movement of citizens by unilaterally imposing ban to all movements of vehicles during the election when the office of the IGP is not a legislative chamber in line with section 4 of the constitution charged with law making.
HURIWA affirmed that only the legislature has the Constitutional powers even during National emergencies to pass a legislation abridging the freedom of movement but the police being an enforcement agency falls under section 5 which is the executive arm of government.