By Emma Amaize
WARRI—Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council, the House of Representatives and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission over alleged indiscriminate arrests and detention of Niger Deltans without trial by security agents.
In the separate petitions signed by the national president of IYC, Udengs Eradiri and spokesperson, Eric Omare, IYC stated: “For the past one year, there have been indiscriminate arrests of Niger Deltans by different security agencies in Nigeria, especially the Department of State Services, DSS, Army and Navy and kept in detention without trial under very harsh conditions.
“In nearly all the cases, lawyers and family members of those arrested are not allowed to see them and the whereabouts of some of those arrested are not known, while some of them are kept in underground detention cells and subjected to psychological and physical torture.
“The IYC states that these arrests by the Nigerian security agents constitute a gross violation of the human rights of those arrested as guaranteed under Nigerian law and international legal instruments,” the council said.
According to the statement, “So far, some of those arrested and in detention without trial are Bounanawei Goddey Smith, Comrade Ezekiel Daniel, Francis Aboy Muturu, Alex Odogu, Monday Ebimene, Peremor Ekpesegba, Churchill Agbelogode, Kalami Saturday Inakemeduo and several others secretly arrested and under detention.”
Acknowledging, however, that security agents had the right to arrest people suspected to have committed offences, IYC asserted: “There is, however, no law in Nigeria which empowers them to arrest and detain citizens indefinitely without trial. Any person arrested must be charged to court within a reasonable time and not indefinite detention without trial.
“IYC, therefore, calls on the international community through the United Nations Human Rights Council, the House of Representatives and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission to investigate these arrests and prevail on the President Buhari-led federal government to respect the rights of Niger Delta citizens and release those under detention or charge them to court as required by law.”
The post Alleged clampdown on Ijaw youths: IYC petitions Reps, UNHRC, NHRC appeared first on Vanguard News.
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