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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Nigerian Police, Army and the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and prosecute personnel who invaded an Anglican church in Imo State and whisked away Uche Nwosu.
Nwosu, a former governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA), was on December 26, 2021, arrested by security personnel while attending his late mother’s thanksgiving service at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Eziama-Obaire Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, stated that security agencies should deploy the same swiftness they used in going after those who invaded the home of Justice Mary Odili.
Onwubiko said: “HURIWA has come to you today to send just one message to the relevant authorities in the Nigeria Army, the DSS and importantly, the Nigeria Police Force that owned up to the infamous, brutality, primitive and unwarranted armed invasion of the place of worship during the Christmas period in the South-East of Nigeria in hot pursuit of a perceived political enemy of the governor of Imo State and the son-in-law of the former governor of Imo State and the current Senator for Imo West Senatorial District Chief Rochas Okorocha, Mr Uche Nwosu.
“Our demand is simple – produce these armed operatives some of whom brazenly invaded the altar shooting sporadically and dispersing the frightened worshippers some of whom apart from the psychological and emotionally traumatic experiences, could have been shot if some of the bullets had landed on them as they were made to stampede out of the church in fear that the hooded invaders who wore no identifiable uniform or name tags were unknown gunmen that have been ravaging the Southeast of Nigeria.
“We all saw how this unprovoked invasion of the Church in Imo got international opprobrium and we saw the waves of condemnation from Nigeria including but not limited to even the Imo State government who blamed the police for invading the Church.
“We all saw also the repercussions of the brazen violent attacks and invasion of the Abuja home of the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s second in Command Justice Mary Odili and the consequential arrests of some of these invaders and recently the police charged them in court.
“The Offences of the invaders of the Anglican Church in Imo State is wealthier because unlike in the Mary Odili’s home invasion by those rogue elements led by an alleged CSP who was later denied by the police, the police operatives that invaded the Church in Imo State shot several rounds of live ammunition into the crowds of worshippers.
“Also, we learnt that the IGP investigated the invasion and the report has been sent to President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He also charged the Police Service Commission to, “deploy the members’ creative talents as writers to promote, protect and project the human rights of all Nigerians and other law-abiding citizens resident within Nigeria;
“Organize periodic seminars and training workshops locally for human capital development specifically on the tenets and ideals of Human Rights and the Rule of Law;
“Attend international workshops and seminars targeted at the promotion and protection of human rights;
“Conduct periodic studies on ways means strategies for promoting and protecting human rights of law-abiding citizens;
“Highlight human rights challenges confronting the persons in conflict with the law and seek for constructive modalities for redressing such violations; and
“Recognize excellence and good governance standards in the polity through yearly award ceremonies for exceptionally good, tested and trusted leaders in both the corporate and public sectors.”
