Laments threat on civic space

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

Following Monday’s attack by some hoodlums on Convener, Concerned Nigerians, CN, Deji Adeyanju, and other protesters at the headquarters of Human Rights Commission, HRC, in Abuja, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Tuesday, said more protests against human rights violation and corruption should be expected.

Rafsanjani stated this in an interview with Vanguard as he disclosed that he was the first victim of the attackers whom he described as hoodlums who came in a bus smoking Indian hemp and were with dangerous weapons that were unleashed on protesters.

He said: “As long as there is disregard for rule of law, violation of human rights and corruption continue we will continue to demand accountability. We will not relax the effort.

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“I was the one they first attacked. I didn’t run. Deji actually ran and they followed and these are mob guys.

“I was the one they first attacked, and when they attacked me with Jaiye Shina, Gaskiya, we just moved back, but Deji who was at the back ran away because he saw them bringing arms, and unfortunately they beat him thoroughly.

“It is unfortunate that has happened to him. We try to inform the police about the incident because I saw they coming I went to inform the police about their arrival and requested that police should protect us against these hoodlums who came out from a bus smoking Indian hemp, abusing and chanting but police did not take proactive measures to stop them until when they started beating some of our guys.

“Despite that, we thank the police for saving our lives because without police those guys would have killed us. Police tried to save our lives but we would have loved it if police had intervened in a very proactive manner.”

According to the CISLAC boss, they have pictures and other evidence about the hoodlums who attacked them.

“We are just coming from the police station right now. We met with the Commissioner of Police to formally lodge the complaint against these hooligans because we have their pictures.

“One of them was on AIT today (Tuesday) justifying what they have done. They are actually doing this with the full knowledge of some security people.

“They are not there alone but with the connivance with the security agencies, but I am not saying directly that because I have no proof but for them to justify and say they are behind the Department of State Security, DSS, and Nigerian Army, this calls for concerns.

“They are associating themselves or support of their actions with the Police and DSS or Army it is a point of concern and worry for us”, he added.

However, he lamented that the civic space in the country has continued to come under serious threats.

“The civic space is every day threatened, freedom of expression, right to association and free movement are being threatened. We are not going to relax effort we will continue to remind the government of its fundamental obligation which is to defend citizens’ rights and protect him or her, and uphold the rule of law. These are the things the government supposed to be doing.

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“What we are doing is reminding the government about its fundamental obligation. We are not anti-government, not attacking anybody, undermining anybody, we are patriotic Nigerians, we want our country to be run under constitutional democracy, respect of law, rule of law and of course promotion and protection of human rights, and also to end looters because of some of the looters are responsible for this happening and are happy because they don’t want us to because we are demanding for accountability and they don’t want us to talk about transparency and accountability that is why they are threatening the space for all of us”, he said.

He also disclosed that they will take further actions pending the investigation by the police.

“We just lodged our complaint and finished the discussion with the Commissioner of Police. Definitely further action will be taken and we want to give them the benefit of doubt to finish their investigation”, he added.

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