Today, a delegation of the TAKEITBACK Global Movement, comprising National Coordinator Juwon Sanyaolu, Lagos State Coordinator Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek, and Head of the Legal Aid Unit, Bolaji Oluwatosin M., paid an official visit to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to lodge a formal complaint concerning the prolonged and unlawful detention of Mr. Chizorom Harrison, popularly known as Ijele.
The delegation was received and attended to by the Commission’s Chief Legal Officer, Dr. Ahmed Rufai Ahmed, Esq., who listened attentively to the concerns raised and assured the team of the Commission’s commitment to upholding human rights and investigating reported violations.
The delegation expressed concern over the continued violation of Mr. Ijele’s constitutional rights, particularly his right to personal liberty as guaranteed under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and his right to dignity of the human person under Section 34. They also decried the denial of his right to a fair hearing, as enshrined in Section 36.
Speaking at the Commission, the delegation emphasized that the arbitrary detention of Mr. Ijele and the abuse of court process where multiple cases have been instituted in 4 different courts in Nigeria in different States, contravenes both Nigerian domestic laws and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Movement called on the NHRC to urgently intervene, investigate the matter, and ensure the immediate release of Mr. Ijele, or in the alternative, that he be charged promptly before a competent court of law in accordance with due process.
Leave a Reply