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The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an independent, non-partisan, international NGO working for the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth: www.humanrightsinitiative.org. Maja Daruwala, Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, has condemned police attempts to stop the peaceful and lawful meeting of a group of Nigerian civil society groups to discuss the recent termination of Bukhari Bello's appointment as head of the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission.
"This is a concerning misuse of police power," said Ms Daruwala. "It appears the police are nothing more than pawns in the Nigerian government's political games." The meeting was due to take place on Wednesday, to launch a report into Mr Bello's sacking put together by the Nigerian community of human rights organisations. Meeting participants arrived at the Rockview hotel in Abuja to find it surrounded by police and members of the state security service. The participants were refused entry into the hotel on the basis that they had not obtained a police permit for their meeting. In 2005, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the police do not have the power to require members of the community to apply for a police permit to hold a rally or procession. The police action comes hot on the heels of the unlawful termination of Mr Bello. Mr Bello was sacked last month for daring to do his job and speak out against the abuse of human rights in Nigeria, across Africa and around the world. "Mr Bello was fired because he did not toe the government line," explained Ms Daruwala. "During the time he has been in office, he has done nothing more than fulfil the mandate of the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission." "The government's termination of Mr Bello's appointment was a crushing blow to the independence and legitimacy of the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission. Wednesday's action by the police gives the international community the impression that the Nigerian government will not tolerate lawful, open and reasonable debate in the Nigerian community and that the police are firmly in the government's pockets," said Ms Daruwala. In a particularly farcical note, the Nigerian government's crackdown on the operations of the National Human Rights Commission and freedom of speech in the community comes after its recent appointment to the United Nation's Human Rights Council. The appointment was approved after Nigeria guaranteed its "determination and commitment to continue to promote and protect human rights at home by strengthening and actively supporting the work of the National Human Rights Commission." "Sacking the head of the Commission because he was doing his job does not strengthen or support; on the contrary, it weakens and undermines," commented Ms Daruwala, "Taking this action so soon after making its pledge to the United Nations makes a mockery of President Obasanjo's commitment to safeguarding human rights in Nigeria, as well as undermining the new Human Rights Council before it has even begun its substantive work." Ms Daruwala commented, "More than ever, the illegal action by the police shows the pressing need for an independent and effective National Human Rights Commission to be in place in Nigeria." For more information regarding CHRI or this media release, contact Daniel Woods at CHRI (+91-9871203760 or mailto:
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) or access the CHRI website at www.humanrightsinitiative.org For more information regarding the release of the Nigerian Human Rights Community report, The People vs. The Federal Attorney-General: In the Matter of the Independence of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission, contact Chidi Odinkalu at the Open Society Justice Initiative mailto:
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