Dasuki, Obuah: Group Writes Obama, Accuses Buhari Of human Rights Violations

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, November 29th, 2015

By Niyi Adeyi, Abuja

A pressure group – the Leadership and Accountability Initiative has appealed to the United States (US) authorities to come to the rescue of Nigeria, over alleged abuse of human rights by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The group alleged that President Buhari and his government has since reneged on promises made by the ruling party, during the last electioneering campaign – in ensuring application of the rule of law and making Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of fundamental human rights, as provided by the law.

The organization in a petition dated November 27, 2015 to the US President, via the office of US Ambassador to Nigeria, lamented and alleged that, instead of keeping to the democratic principles, President Buhari’s government advances have been linked to anarchy.

The petition which is titled: “The Buhari Govt, Authoritarianism and human Right Violations- Saving Nigeria Democracy From Total Collapse” and signed by the organization Head, Nwazuru Ahu Henry Shield, and five others, cited the recent raiding by men of the DSS of Akwa Ibom Governor’s lodge in search of alleged stockpiling of arms and foreign currency.

It contended that the action contravened section 308 (1,2,3) of the Nigeria’s 1999 constitution.

Similarly, it recalled the arrest, incarceration and alleged torture by the DSS of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the former President Goodluck Jonathan, Gordon Obuah.

The group re-echoed the allegation that Obuah, while being incarcerated, fainted and went into coma over alleged involvement in oil bunkering . It also accused the DSS of denying the former CSO access to his lawyers and his physician, despite being an hypertensive patient.

Also, the raiding by men of the DSS, of the Abuja house of former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafararwa, while still in abroad, for yet to be disclosed reasons, it pointed out was another indicator of human rights abuse by President Buhari and his government.The development, the organization, described was mind boggling.

The association described Col. Sambo Dasuki’s (rted) ordeals as “one of the lows” of wanton human right abuses of Buhari’s administration, alleging that the order for his house arrest, raiding of his house, seizure of his international passport and refusal to allow him travel abroad as vendetta, despite justice Adeniyi Ademola of Abuja Federal High Court, which ruled that every accused is presumed innocent before the trial and that his health was very paramount.

It cautioned if the Federal Government must recover the stolen monies and put on trial the accused, their fundamental human rights must be respected.

The organization also noted that Air Vice Marshall O.N Ode’s panel set up to investigate cases of alleged corruption and abuse of privileges of office had submitted its interim report, and it has indicted Dasuki.

It wondered and alleged that the ongoing development gave the impression that President Buhari’s administration considered the panel report as superior to the rulings of court of law.

The group alleged that the involvement of Col. Dasuki in the coup that ousted Buhari’s Military Junta in 1985, might have accounted for his present travails, also lamented on the statement it credited to the Attorney General Of Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that impeding the accused to travel out of the country, in the face of allegations against him, was in the “public interest”.

In the meantime, the association has called the attention of the US institution to the ongoing situation, and submitted that the alleged abuse of human rights, if not rescued, might result to emergence of refugees, likely to surpass the figure of the existing Internally Displaced Persosns (IDPs), prompted by the ravaging terrorism in the North Eastern part of the country.