Don't kill ballot box thieves, HURIWA warns security agencies

The civil rights group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday warned security agencies, particularly the military, police and the Department of State Services (DSS) not to not commit extrajudicial execution of citizens, including those of ballot box thieves.

HURIWA has expressed concern over trending social media videos in which soldiers threaten to kill ballot box thieves during the poll, saying it is illegal, unconstitutional and a crime against humanity for the security forces to fail to abide by their rules of engagement governing all internal security operations and go ahead triggering happy episodes of extrajudicial executions of Nigerians during elections as a demonstration of the so called show of force.

The group said Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution renders the right to life sacrosanct and absolutely prohibits the unlawful execution of offenders unless authorized by the courts.

HURIWA also blasted Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba for violating the basic human rights of free movement of citizens by unilaterally imposing a ban on all vehicle movement during the election when the office of the IGP is not a legislative chamber in accordance with article 4 of the Constitution responsible for legislating.

He claimed that only the legislature has the constitutional power, even in times of national emergency, to pass legislation restricting freedom of movement, but the police being an enforcement agency, falls under section 5, an executive arm of government.

Following the practice of nearly all IGP holders, the rights group said it would soon challenge this persistent violation of the constitution by different IGPs in elections over the years in the Court of righteousness.

"We may have to test the waters in the appropriate court to determine why IGPs throughout the ages have consistently taken the law into their own hands and imposed unlawful limitations on the enjoyment of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement" , the group in a statement made available to The Guardian.

HURIWA pointed to Article 4(1) of the Constitution, saying, "The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the Federation, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives. ."

On the threats of some lawless soldiers to kill at will, these political thugs, who would snatch the ballot boxes, HURIWA warned them that the unlawful killings of Nigerians, even those in conflict with the law, do not pose lethal threats to the lives of security officers, will be challenged at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, just as it has warned department heads to ensure that their officers absolutely adhere to clearly laid out rules of engagement.

HURIWA cited Section 217(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution and Section (8)(1) and (3) of the Armed Forces Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria , (LFN) 2004 which provide copiously the code of conduct and rules of engagement of the armed forces in internal security.

HURIWA argued that: "For example, no officer or soldier shall be found aiding or abetting any act of arson, vandalism or unprofessional conduct; and troops have the duty to intervene in any situation to avoid a breach of peace, stability or public order in an area where they are deployed.”