SAHARA REPORTERS
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing it as an era of “total impunity” due to the disregard for court orders and persistent abuse of human rights by security agencies.
During a session organised by the HEDA Resource Centre on Wednesday, titled ‘2024 Review of Human Rights Abuse in Nigeria,’ the Take-It-Back Movement convener expressed deep concerns over the actions of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army, and Nigerian Police, accusing them of setting a dangerous precedent by repeatedly violating court rulings.
“With this level of impunity, anyone in the security agencies can now violate Nigerian laws and face no consequences,” Sowore stated.
He explained the growing trend of individuals being sent to prison “in the most violent and disrespectful ways,” stating that the rule of law has been blatantly disregarded.
“Those entrusted to uphold the law and protect citizens have turned around to flout the very laws they are sworn to enforce. When courts make judgments or issue orders, those responsible for implementing them often blatantly refuse. Sometimes, they even return to the courts to admit they have no intention of complying,” Sowore said.
Recalling his own experience in 2019, Sowore noted that despite being granted bail, the DSS refused to release him, citing the agency’s disregard for judicial authority.
The activist called on Nigerians and the international community to hold the government accountable and push for adherence to the rule of law, stressing that the erosion of legal and human rights would have dire consequences for the country’s democratic institutions.
He said, “The country exists in a state of absolute impunity. And what I mean by impunity is a state where people who are responsible for law and order, people who are supposed to protect human rights are feeling that they are exempt from the rule of law and law and order themselves.
“And you can describe the situation where people are presently sent to prison in very transparent ways, in the most violent and most disrespectful ways of the rule of law in the country. I’m one of the people who don’t believe that Nigeria has a constitution, unfortunately.”
“So I’m always constrained to refer to the Nigerian constitution,” Sowore said.
He said, “My lawyer friends always say, well, we still have something,” adding that he doesn’t understand how the military can make laws for a country that is returning to democracy.
“And if they did, one of the things we should have undone was the so-called 1999 Nigerian Constitution, often praised by the military.
“Well, let’s even assume, without conceding that a constitution exists… why is it that people who are to protect the laws of our land, protect the rest of our people, ignore the laws?
“Why is it that when law courts make decisions, they make orders or they make judgments, people who are supposed to implement these laws or judgments will tell you… sometimes they go back to court to say ‘Look, yes, we know you gave your rulings, but, we are sorry we are not going to abide by them. And these things have happened repeatedly. It happened to me in 2019 when, you know, I was granted bill.”
Sowore explained, “The DSS, after I was granted bail, asked my sureties to come for verification in the office. It had never happened before. I told my lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) then that I’m not going to accede to that. So they kept me for another month in detention because I refused to bring my sureties to the DSS headquarters where they would have been intimidated and they would have claimed that I have no sureties. When I was released, they came to court to abduct me in front of a judge.
“After that, they’ve done several things I have seen because I go to court a lot, but I can’t recognise the country I’m in anymore. I’m in Nigeria. Why? Because when we were under military rule, things weren’t this bad. And I’m not saying this to encourage military to come back.
“I am completely opposed to military rule. You know, forget about all these people who are praising the TikTok Boy Scouts who are military rulers in in Burkina Faso, Niger. I do not support military rule because I know where it will end. You know, they will deceive you, after a while, they will become the monsters that they said they came to drive away.
“Nigeria and Africa have seen too many of all these messiahs who come and call themselves different kinds of names as military government.”
“I’m telling you that as someone who fought against the military, I can’t imagine times that we got a judgment in court, even as student leaders, that the vice chancellor would tell you that he would not respect the court order, or that the DSS would say, ‘No, we are not respecting the court order,’ or that any of the agencies or government would do that. And that is what the Nigerian police are doing now,” he said.
“It’s what the DSS and the Nigerian Army do with impunity. Anyone can violate Nigerian laws now and get away with it, all while infringing on the rights of Nigerians. I would describe this as the era of total impunity,” Sowore added.
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) January 15, 2025
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