Okun People Accuse Security Agents of Violating Melaye’s Human Dignity

Ejiofor Alike

The people of Okun in the five out of the seven local government areas in Kogi West senatorial district of Kogi State, under the aegis of Okun Development Association (ODA), have accused law enforcement agencies of going beyond the bounds of the universally accepted minimum standards in their face-off with Senator Dino Melaye.

The association, which has also attributed the current face-off between Melaye and security agents to political differences between experienced stakeholders in the same political party, accused the security agencies of lack of respect for the dignity and person of Melaye.

The Yoruba-speaking Okun people, who also constitute a sizeable population of the remaining two local governments in Kogi West, also noted that the security agents ignored the provision of the constitution, which stipulates that government must not deploy extrajudicial and extra-legal methods in dealing with suspects.

They accused security agencies of violating Melaye’s fundamental rights, in flagrant abuse of the 1999 Constitution.

President of ODA, Mr. Femi Mokikan, said in a statement yesterday that the constitutional provisions that presumes that an accused is innocent until he is found guilty, has also been violated in Melaye case.

Mokikan stated that the Okun people have justifiable reasons to be apprehensive at the recent ugly dimension that Melaye’s encounter with the law enforcement agencies has assumed.

He said Okun people acknowledged and conceded that it is within the purview and prerogative of the government to maintain law and order.

Mokikan added that in doing this, the government must respect the dignity and person of her citizens, in addition to protecting their fundamental rights as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended.