Nigerian human rights group Global Rights has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) violent crackdown on Akure clubs, with over 127 arrests.
Responding to the incident in a statement tagged: ‘EFCC’s heavy-handed tactics in Akure sent to Africa Health Report on Thursday and signed by the Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, the group slams EFCC for unlawful arrests and property seizure.
According to Baiyewu, EFCC’s actions violate Nigerian Constitution, fail to respect dignity, stating, “This sentiment underpins the United Nations Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment. Principle 1 of that document states, “All persons under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be treated in a humane manner and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
“In applying that litmus test to this situation, it is clear that the EFCC displayed no respect for the dignity of the suspects arrested at Akure, as they allegedly employed the use of teargas to arrest suspects in an enclosed space. The victims also stated that their phones were confiscated, and the clubs where the arrests took place suffered significant structural damage.”
Baiyewu while stressing that EFCC’s mission to combat corruption can be achieved without rights violations, demands an immediate release of Akure suspects and the return phones and other personal items seized on Saturday’s raid to their rightful owners.
Other demands made by the group include, “The EFCC must take steps to compensate the owners of the properties they destroyed on Saturday while effecting the arrest, a public apology should also be issued and those who are being prosecuted should be charged according to the timeline provided in the Nigerian Constitution.”
