March 21, 2010
Following what it called opening of a new chapter by fraudsters and politically exposed persons (PEP) through a system of targeted assassination of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a call has gone to the Federal government to beef up security for the staff of the nation’s anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission (ICPC) and the code of conduct bureau/Tribunal.
Following what it called opening of a new chapter by fraudsters and politically exposed persons (PEP) through a system of targeted assassination of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a call has gone to the Federal government to beef up security for the staff of the nation’s anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission (ICPC) and the code of conduct bureau/Tribunal.
Against the backdrop of the recent killing of Eze Adaga, an operative of the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC), an anti-riot police operative and the injuries sustained by two others in the attack by alleged hired killers against the anti-graft officials in Isiala – Mbano local government area of Imo state, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, also called for the arrest and prosecution of all those behind the dastardly act. The Rights group also tasked the nation’s security authorities to fish out the killers in Gwarimpa-Abuja recently of a former top-flight police prosecutor [Danjuma Mohammed] attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The assassinated police officer who handled the prosecution of some former governors for anti-graft offences, was redeployed back to the Nigeria Police in the wake of the controversial removal of the former chairman of the Anti-crime commission Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
In a statement made available to the media and endorsed jointly by its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and senior program manager Barrister (Miss) Ogom Kifordu, HURIWA Condemned the attacks on the anti-graft commission’s officials and called for the immortalization of all the anti-graft operatives killed in the line of duty even as it advocated payment of generous compensation to the next-of-kins of the assassinated anti-graft officials. “Their deaths should not be in vain. They must be immortalized for their heroic roles in the nation’s anti-graft battle”, HURIWA asserted.
HURIWA which canvassed support from all Nigerians for all the anti-graft agencies in the country however advised the hierarchies of the anti-graft agencies to be human rights friendly in their operations, courageous, independent-minded, transparent and accountable in the discharge of their legal duties as anti-corruption fighters. “He who goes to equity must go with clean hands”, HURIWA stated.
The Rights group stated thus; “while we completely condemn any attempt from any quarter in the country to use the instrumentality of cohesion and brute force to intimidate, harass or threaten to assassinate the operatives of all the anti-graft bodies in Nigeria, we in the human rights community are particularly worried with the emerging dangerous trend of targeted assassination against officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We view this as an attempt to frustrate the collective quest by Nigerians to defeat corruption among highly placed politically exposed persons in both the private and public sectors of Nigeria. The effort of these reactionary forces to keep the greater percentage of citizens in perpetual poverty through their corrupt tendencies must be resisted actively by all Nigerians as a matter of urgent national importance.”
According to HURIWA; “we urge the Federal government to ensure that those charged with the duty to combat the menace of corruption are not left to die in the hands of these well-connected corrupt political office holders or highly placed politically exposed Nigerians. The government must protect the anti-graft operatives and all the whistle blowers whose roles in the fight against corruption has gone a long way to confront the hydra- headed monster of corruption which is the single most disturbing cause of poverty, insecurity and human rights violations. Corruption is the root cause of poverty and human rights abuses and it must be fought to a standstill or we are doomed as a nation. Those who are recruited to battle the scourge of corruption in Nigeria must enjoy the most effective and efficient security and protection of their lives. The attempt to silence the anti-graft workers through a carefully organized targeted assassination plots by these corrupt persons must be resisted and defeated.”
The Rights group also advised the operatives of the anti-graft agencies to respect the human rights of all the suspects and accused persons in their custody so as to preserve and respect the sanctity of the principle of rule of law in Nigeria.
Against the backdrop of the recent killing of Eze Adaga, an operative of the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC), an anti-riot police operative and the injuries sustained by two others in the attack by alleged hired killers against the anti-graft officials in Isiala – Mbano local government area of Imo state, the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, also called for the arrest and prosecution of all those behind the dastardly act. The Rights group also tasked the nation’s security authorities to fish out the killers in Gwarimpa-Abuja recently of a former top-flight police prosecutor [Danjuma Mohammed] attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The assassinated police officer who handled the prosecution of some former governors for anti-graft offences, was redeployed back to the Nigeria Police in the wake of the controversial removal of the former chairman of the Anti-crime commission Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
In a statement made available to the media and endorsed jointly by its National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and senior program manager Barrister (Miss) Ogom Kifordu, HURIWA Condemned the attacks on the anti-graft commission’s officials and called for the immortalization of all the anti-graft operatives killed in the line of duty even as it advocated payment of generous compensation to the next-of-kins of the assassinated anti-graft officials. “Their deaths should not be in vain. They must be immortalized for their heroic roles in the nation’s anti-graft battle”, HURIWA asserted.
HURIWA which canvassed support from all Nigerians for all the anti-graft agencies in the country however advised the hierarchies of the anti-graft agencies to be human rights friendly in their operations, courageous, independent-minded, transparent and accountable in the discharge of their legal duties as anti-corruption fighters. “He who goes to equity must go with clean hands”, HURIWA stated.
The Rights group stated thus; “while we completely condemn any attempt from any quarter in the country to use the instrumentality of cohesion and brute force to intimidate, harass or threaten to assassinate the operatives of all the anti-graft bodies in Nigeria, we in the human rights community are particularly worried with the emerging dangerous trend of targeted assassination against officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We view this as an attempt to frustrate the collective quest by Nigerians to defeat corruption among highly placed politically exposed persons in both the private and public sectors of Nigeria. The effort of these reactionary forces to keep the greater percentage of citizens in perpetual poverty through their corrupt tendencies must be resisted actively by all Nigerians as a matter of urgent national importance.”
According to HURIWA; “we urge the Federal government to ensure that those charged with the duty to combat the menace of corruption are not left to die in the hands of these well-connected corrupt political office holders or highly placed politically exposed Nigerians. The government must protect the anti-graft operatives and all the whistle blowers whose roles in the fight against corruption has gone a long way to confront the hydra- headed monster of corruption which is the single most disturbing cause of poverty, insecurity and human rights violations. Corruption is the root cause of poverty and human rights abuses and it must be fought to a standstill or we are doomed as a nation. Those who are recruited to battle the scourge of corruption in Nigeria must enjoy the most effective and efficient security and protection of their lives. The attempt to silence the anti-graft workers through a carefully organized targeted assassination plots by these corrupt persons must be resisted and defeated.”
The Rights group also advised the operatives of the anti-graft agencies to respect the human rights of all the suspects and accused persons in their custody so as to preserve and respect the sanctity of the principle of rule of law in Nigeria.
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