Group demands citizen’s release after four months in DSS detention
CIVIL rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria ( HURIWA), has demanded the immediate release of Kenechukwu Okoroeze, who has reportedly been detained by the Department of State Services ( DSS) since October 11, 2023.
The group described Okoroeze’s continued detention as unlawful and a spat on the rule of law, following a valid and subsisting court judgment in a suit ( FHC/ AWK/ CS/ 62/ 2022) ordering his immediate release.
Addressing the media, yesterday, HURIWA’S national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, acknowledged receiving a letter from the legal representatives of Okoroeze, detailing the circumstances of his arrest and subsequent detention.
The organisation said disobedience to a binding court ruling undermines Nigeria’s democratic principles and judicial independence, tarnishes the country’s image on the international stage, and reduces Nigeria to a banana republic.
HURIWA said the continued detention of Okoroeze was a clear violation of his fundamental human rights, as enshrined in Sections 33, 34, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria ( as amended). The group emphasised the need for the DSS to adhere to the rule of law and respect the decisions of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Also, HURIWA urged President Bola Tinubu, as head of the executive arm of government, to intervene and order the DSS to comply with the judgment. It said failure to do so would further erode confidence in Nigeria’s justice system and exacerbate human rights violations by state actors.
The group cited international human rights laws and conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. It underscored the importance of upholding these principles to safeguard the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their status or circumstances.
The group further announced its intention to escalate the matter to the United Nations Human Rights Council. It stressed the urgency of the matter and called on all stakeholders, domestic and international, to join forces in advocating the immediate release of Okoroeze.