IPOB: DETAINED BIAFRANS IN KUJE PRISON AND THE DEAD SILENCE OF HUMAN RIGHT CRUSADERS
Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
For Family Writers Press
Tyranny and impunity thrive in any land where Human Right Organizations renege on their responsibilities. And this is prevalently experiential in Nigeria where virtually every voice of reason against despotism has remained mute. Human Right Organisations are scared of reprisals in their defense of people's rights because of the present tyrannical regime in Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The knowledge and attention of Human Right Crusaders are hereby being drawn to the plight of the Biafran freedom agitators who have been extra-judicially held in captivity in Kuje prison without trial since 2015. It is obvious that the Human Right Organisations in the country cannot claim ignorance of the fact that Messrs Benjamin Mmadubugwu, David Nwawuisi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and Bright Chimezie are yet being held unlawfully in Kuje prison in Abuja with impunity and outright denial of bail since their arrest in 2015 by the officials of the Department of Security Service (DSS). Their arrest hinged on the exercise of their rights of participation in the agitation for the restoration of the nation of Biafra amongst millions of their brethren globally. It is incumbent upon the Human Rights Organizations in Nigeria which are statutorily obliged to pressurize the Nigerian Judiciary to grant these Biafrans bail that is legally theirs. This is a right until the allegation of treasonable felony preferred against them, are satisfactorily substantiated in the court of law. Their continued illegal incarceration in a matter that bothers on the yearnings of over 95℅ of approximately 80 million Biafrans the world over, is the height of human right abuse before the very eyes of the organisations saddled statutorily for their defense and protection, under a supposedly democratic Nigeria.
The deafening and callous silence of these organizations over the brazen acts of impunity and lawlessness inherent in Nigeria over these individuals, is mostly worrisome. Could it also be that these human right crusaders have been humbled through the fistic tyranny and frivolous inducements of the Nigerian government? The continued illegal detention of these promising young men who obviously committed no other crime besides freely expressing their rights to freedom, attests to the fact that the Nigerian Human Right Organisations have lost their relevance in the country. The prevailing wave of tyranny in Nigeria should be the needed catalyst of activism by these organizations to unrelentlessly campaign for the release of these unjustly detained freedom fighters. It is time for action both for the enthronement of their lost glory and th protection/defense of people's rights.
Amnesty International (AI), have dwelt for so long on the mountain of periodic reports of the people massacred by the Nigerian armed forces. It must move it's tentacles to pressuring the Nigerian government into respecting human rights of citizens by immediately releasing the extra-judicially detained. Persons like Benjamin Mmadubugwu, David Nwawuisi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and Bright Chimezie have stayed for too long in detention without bail and trial. The Nigerian government has absolutely no reasonable case in the eyes of the law against these men. The issue of agitation for the independence of Biafra can only be handled democratically through a referendum and not by victimization and illegal incarceration of few individuals out of millions who are resolutely clamoring for what rightfully belongs to them as a people. The Amnesty International based here in Nigeria and particularly, the Intersociety group, should live up to their billings by ferociously resisting and campaigning against tyranny. All Human Rights Organizations should understand that the absence of human rights protection in the land significantly suggests the lost of their values. The callous detention of these Biafran non-violent freedom agitators is unarguably, a challenge to human right protection and a smear to the integrity of bodies responsible for it's promotion. The global community is quite aware that these men are innocent of the crime they are being unjustly persecuted.
As Monday the 25th day of June 2018 being the next court sitting date fastly approaches, the expectation of the world remains that the bail application for the release of these men will be favourably dispensed. The presiding judge on the treasonable felony case, being Justice Binta Nyako must be made to understand the implications of the law by these Human Right Organizations through their insistence for grant of bail to these detainees, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play. Justice cannot be divorced from democratic governance and the global community is awaiting and closely watching out for the anticipated.
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press
Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze
For Family Writers Press
Tyranny and impunity thrive in any land where Human Right Organizations renege on their responsibilities. And this is prevalently experiential in Nigeria where virtually every voice of reason against despotism has remained mute. Human Right Organisations are scared of reprisals in their defense of people's rights because of the present tyrannical regime in Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The knowledge and attention of Human Right Crusaders are hereby being drawn to the plight of the Biafran freedom agitators who have been extra-judicially held in captivity in Kuje prison without trial since 2015. It is obvious that the Human Right Organisations in the country cannot claim ignorance of the fact that Messrs Benjamin Mmadubugwu, David Nwawuisi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and Bright Chimezie are yet being held unlawfully in Kuje prison in Abuja with impunity and outright denial of bail since their arrest in 2015 by the officials of the Department of Security Service (DSS). Their arrest hinged on the exercise of their rights of participation in the agitation for the restoration of the nation of Biafra amongst millions of their brethren globally. It is incumbent upon the Human Rights Organizations in Nigeria which are statutorily obliged to pressurize the Nigerian Judiciary to grant these Biafrans bail that is legally theirs. This is a right until the allegation of treasonable felony preferred against them, are satisfactorily substantiated in the court of law. Their continued illegal incarceration in a matter that bothers on the yearnings of over 95℅ of approximately 80 million Biafrans the world over, is the height of human right abuse before the very eyes of the organisations saddled statutorily for their defense and protection, under a supposedly democratic Nigeria.
The deafening and callous silence of these organizations over the brazen acts of impunity and lawlessness inherent in Nigeria over these individuals, is mostly worrisome. Could it also be that these human right crusaders have been humbled through the fistic tyranny and frivolous inducements of the Nigerian government? The continued illegal detention of these promising young men who obviously committed no other crime besides freely expressing their rights to freedom, attests to the fact that the Nigerian Human Right Organisations have lost their relevance in the country. The prevailing wave of tyranny in Nigeria should be the needed catalyst of activism by these organizations to unrelentlessly campaign for the release of these unjustly detained freedom fighters. It is time for action both for the enthronement of their lost glory and th protection/defense of people's rights.
Amnesty International (AI), have dwelt for so long on the mountain of periodic reports of the people massacred by the Nigerian armed forces. It must move it's tentacles to pressuring the Nigerian government into respecting human rights of citizens by immediately releasing the extra-judicially detained. Persons like Benjamin Mmadubugwu, David Nwawuisi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and Bright Chimezie have stayed for too long in detention without bail and trial. The Nigerian government has absolutely no reasonable case in the eyes of the law against these men. The issue of agitation for the independence of Biafra can only be handled democratically through a referendum and not by victimization and illegal incarceration of few individuals out of millions who are resolutely clamoring for what rightfully belongs to them as a people. The Amnesty International based here in Nigeria and particularly, the Intersociety group, should live up to their billings by ferociously resisting and campaigning against tyranny. All Human Rights Organizations should understand that the absence of human rights protection in the land significantly suggests the lost of their values. The callous detention of these Biafran non-violent freedom agitators is unarguably, a challenge to human right protection and a smear to the integrity of bodies responsible for it's promotion. The global community is quite aware that these men are innocent of the crime they are being unjustly persecuted.
As Monday the 25th day of June 2018 being the next court sitting date fastly approaches, the expectation of the world remains that the bail application for the release of these men will be favourably dispensed. The presiding judge on the treasonable felony case, being Justice Binta Nyako must be made to understand the implications of the law by these Human Right Organizations through their insistence for grant of bail to these detainees, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play. Justice cannot be divorced from democratic governance and the global community is awaiting and closely watching out for the anticipated.
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press
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