Illegal detention of journalist: Lagos NUJ petitions IGP Arase, demands N100m compensation

ITRealms:

The Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase over the detention of one its members, Yomi Olomofe, demanding damages to the tune of N100m, reports ITRealms.

Olomofe, who had been having a running battle with the Nigeria Customs Service was invited to the police office in Panti, Lagos, for clarification on the matter, but rather than being questioned on the purpose of the visit, was on Thursday detained.

Olomofe, who doubles as the editorial board chairman of Badagry Prime News, was later moved to the Alagbon command in Ikoyi area of the state.

A copy of the petition made available to ITRealms by the union’s lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, the NUJ and Olomofe are seeking for a public apology, assurance of Olomofe’s safety, N100

 million compensation for breach of fundamental rights.

In the said petition, NUJ said that Olomofe has, again, been admitted to the hospital for urgent medical attention and that the shock of his latest harassment has caused him a fresh psychological breakdown and emotional distress, as he has been told by his doctors that he has relapsed into a state of depression with his blood pressure alarmingly high.

“The Nigeria Police Force, under your watch, has done nothing to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act of attempted murder to justice for nine (9) months is a monumental scandal. But that our client could be framed up and the Police Force, who ought to be his “friend", could be a willing ally or tool of persecution in the hands of those who are still hell-bent on eliminating our client, is worse than a scandal. It is an unmitigated tragedy of policing and law-enforcement in Nigeria. 

“Our position is that although the Police is vested with powers of arrest and detention under the Police Act, Criminal Procedure Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos, 2011, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, there is no lawful excuse or justification for the arrest and detention of our client, his release from Police custody within twenty-four (24) hours in seeming compliance with the provision of Section 35 of the Constitution, notwithstanding. Our client's rights to the dignity of the human person and personal liberty, guaranteed by Sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution, have been violated. And his right to freedom of expression and the press under Section 39 of the same Constitution, as a practicing journalist, who is being cowed, intimidated and harassed [in order  to compel him into self-censorship], is implicated. 

“In the circumstances, we hereby request, that the Nigeria Police Force refrain from further violating the rights of our client, at the instance of his assailants and tormentors, as described above.

“Now that the Nigeria Police Force has not only refused to investigate the complaint of our client, with a view to bringing those who intended and attempted to murder him to justice, but also has joined in the abuse of our client's fundamental human rights, the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police should assure our client, and his family of their continued safety.

“The Nigeria Police Force should investigate the dormant complaint of our client, and bring his assailants, who are still threatening his life, to justice.

“For the aforementioned violation of his rights, the Nigeria Police Force should pay the sum of N100 Million Damages to our client, within twenty-one [21] days of delivery of this petition; and

“That the Inspector-General of Police, on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force, should, within twenty-one [21] days of delivery of this petition, tender a public apology to our client, and the apology should be published in three (3) national newspapers (dailies), for the aforesaid violation of our client's fundamental rights.

“If the Nigeria Police Force refuses, neglects or fails to comply with the demands made herein, within twenty-one [21] days of delivery of this letter, we shall not hesitate to institute a legal action against the Nigeria Police Force and your good self to secure the enforcement of the fundamental rights of our client, in a court of law with requisite jurisdiction”, the petition reads.

 

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JustNet Coalition petitions ITU Plenipotentiary on Internet Governance rights

ITRealms:

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and individuals under the aegis of Just Net Coalition from across the globe has petitioned the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Internet Governance (IG) rights, reports ITRealms.

The petition signed by the co-convener, Mr. Norbert Bollow, was sent to the 2014 Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union expressing concerns with issues of Internet governance, from the perspective of all human rights, including democracy and social justice.

ITRealms gathered that JNC statement was addressed to ITU conference that will take place from 20 October to 7 November 2014, in Busan, South Korea, part of which states:

“As we stand on the cusp of a social revolution mediated through ICTs, of which the Internet is a central paradigm, it is important for the Conference to take note of key global issues that are in its ambit so as to address them and contribute positively to the further development of ICTs in general and the Internet in particular.

“It will be a missed opportunity and a great disservice to the world if the Conference gets bogged down over the issue as to whether Internet is telecommunication or not, and accordingly whether the ITU should be dealing with Internet related public policy issues.

“Surely it is more productive to recognize, as many have done, that the ITU does have an important role to play with respect to certain issues, and to concentrate on agreeing on a programme with respect to those issues.

“In that light, the Just Net Coalition calls on the Plenipotentiary Conference to:

1.       Resolve that there is a need to develop a comprehensive treaty on cyber-security and cyber-peace with discussions to be initiated by the ITU given the strong need for domain knowledge including core technical knowledge.

2.     

  As a first step in that direction, call upon all states to accede to the 2014 International Telecommunication Regulations, which include an article on network security.

Recognize and endorse the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) on the protection and promotion of the right to privacy, in the context of domestic and extraterritorial surveillance and/or the interception of digital communications and the collection of personal data, including on a mass scale.”

+RemmyNweke (ITRealms)
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