Free all political prisoners to mark world human rights day – CHURAC tells Buhari

The Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set free all political prisoners to mark World Human Rights Day.

President of the group, Cleric Alaowei, who made this known on Wednesday, December 11, claimed that President Buhari and security agencies constitute big threats to democracy in the country.

Alaowei said: “This year’s human rights day should serve as a sober reflection to the government of President Buhari. This,  we mean that the government should set an agenda for the protection and preservation of human rights as enshrined in our constitution.

“Buhari needs to cleanse his battered image in the area of human rights abuse by security agencies under his control. “Chapter four of the Constitution,  which is copied from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be held sacrosanct by the government of the day.

“Every of its action ought to conform to the dictate of the Constitution. The Gestapo style invasion of the residences of justices of superior courts of Nigeria, as well as the continued detention of political prisoners in spite of court judgments ordering for their release, are the worse human rights abuses by the government of Buhari.

“Nigeria’s international image has been battered. Buhari should place the rule of law above national security. His security agencies, especially the Department of State Services (DSS) are only enforcing rule of self-help. The security agencies are posing a big threat to our democracy.

“Buhari cannot rule Nigeria with his unconstitutional rule of self-help.   “The serial disobedience to court judgments by his lawless security agencies is an invitation to anarchy. The case of Omoleye Sowore is the height of the illegalities.

“For the Federal Government to defend the DSS over its despicable act of rearresting the RevolutionNow Convener inside the courtroom means Buhari is putting our democracy at risk.

“Our demand on this human rights day is that all political prisoners, who he held in defiance to court judgments should be immediately released. Omoleye Sowore, Col. Sambo Dasuki and many other persons currently languishing in the dungeons should be released by the government to mark this year’s human rights day.”