Falana, others demand immediate prosecution of electoral offenders

Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, SAN, and other stakeholders, yesterday, demanded the federal government to prosecute electoral offenders.

They said the move will deepen democracy and promote sanctity of lives and property ahead of the Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship elections.

Falana made the call in Abuja, during the Review Session for Issues of Electoral Violence in the 2015 Elections, organised Ahmed Lemu-led panel instituted by former president Goodluck Jonathan to investigate the crises that led to killing of 943 people and injured 838 others.

Falana said: “As president Buhari has pledged to bring the perpetrators of electoral violence to book, the federal government should direct the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Nigeria Police Force to collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to prosecute all electoral offenders.

H asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to assist in the prosecution of electoral offenders.

On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Malam Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, said despite relative peace witnessed during the 2015 elections, some states, including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Ondo, recorded significant number of violent incidents, with INEC’s records showing that there were 66 reports of violent incidents targeted at polling units, the commission’s officials, voters and election materials.