Covid -19 Situation Room In Rivers Demands Prosecution Of Violators Of Human Rights

ADVERTORIAL

COVID -19 SITUATION ROOM DEMANDS THAT VIOLATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, IN THE COURSE OF GOVERNMENT RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT ORDERS BE BROUGHT TO BOOK.

The lifting of the curfew imposed by the government in some parts of the state is a welcome development. There is no doubt that it has doused, significantly, the palpable tension generated by the lock down and the violent implementation of the said lockdown by security operatives. 
However, the high handedness, recklessness, insensitivity, callousness, brutalities and man’s inhumanity to man exhibited by security agents and some government agents in the course of enforcing the lock down as well as other social distancing measures rolled out by the government ostensibly to control the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic in the state are condemnable and must not be allowed to go unpunished. 

The Situation Room has been inundated with complaints, reports and gory stories of gross violations of human rights by agents of the state under the guise of enforcing the Social distancing measures.

For instance;
On Monday, March 28, soldiers at the Imo River boundary between Rivers state and Abia, state allegedly shot at and sank a boat trying to ferry some women traders with their goods, mostly perishable food items, into Rivers state. Five women were drowned during the alleged military attack.   

Between March 31st and April 3rd, over 200 persons were arrested during mass arrests and were dragged to a magistrate court in Port Harcourt at night, not minding that the courts were supposed to be observing the sit at home order of the government in line with the social distancing rules. Many of the victims who were not able to bribe their ways out ended up in already over congested cells.

On April 2nd, six persons who went to make some bank transactions via ATM at  the mile one axis were taken hostage by Policemen attached to the Mile one Divisional Police headquarters. The Policemen seized their ATM cards, forced them at gun point to disclose their private pin numbers to them. With the ATM and the pin numbers, the security officers emptied the accounts of their captives before releasing them.

People were subjected to different forms of of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments/punishments by security operatives, notably soldiers, Policemen and NSCDC operatives. Such degrading treatments ranged from physical beatings with gun butts,; flogging with horsewhips; forcing people to roll or lie down inside dirty water; frog jumping; forcing people to raise their two hands while walking, etc. 

A journalist narrowly escaped being killed by a Civil Defence operative becaused he failed to raised his hands while moving. The trigger happy officer cucked the gun, pointed it at him and threatened to shoot the journalist for not raising his hands, an offence that is strange to the Nigeria law and the constitution

A newspaper vendor was arrested and beaten mercilessly at the okporo road section of Port Harcourt. She was later released following interventions by concerned citizens.

The council chairmen of Ahoada West, Oyigbo and  Port Harcourt city LGAs led their thugs to beat up women traders and destroyed their goods. They carted away food items from the women and shared among themselves.

On April 4th, operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, shot and wounded a young man at Igwuruta-Ali, near Port Harcourti.The young mans offence was that they went for  driving lesson  by 4pm at the Greater Port Harcourt City.

In the light of the foregoing, we are constrained to demand as follows:

That security officers deployed for the purpose of enforcing any aspect of the social distancing measures should be properly trained and guided on how to relate with the civil populace in order not to heat up the polity. They should be trained on human rights principles;

The officers involved in trampling on peoples rights in the guise of COVID 19 MEASURES ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE FISHED OUT AND ADEQUATELY SANCTIONED;

THE Policemen who collected people’s ATM  cards at gun point and used same to rob them of their money should be fished out and treated like armed robbers which they are.

The military should be kept out of the enforcement of the measures since the state is not at war. Soldiers are known for trampling on people’s rights with reckless abandon.

we call on security operatives to exercise restraint in enforcing the social distancing measurs. The right to life and dignity of Human Person as enshrined in our Constitution hasn’t been suspended. They must display professionalism in the discharge of their duties and ensure they don’t subject people to situations worse than the impacts of the Corona Virus.

The Situation Room will continue to monitor developments with respect to the government responses to the COVID 19 pandemic. We will explore all lawful means to ensure the atrocities do not go unpunished

SIGNED:
COVID 19 SITUATION ROOM Management Committee

Styvn obodoekwe – chairman

Karl Chinedu Uchegbu – co-Chairman/spokesperson

Sebastian Kpalap – Co-Chairman

Green Isaac– joint Secretary

Prince Prince Prince — joint Secretary

Vivian Bellonwu – convener