SERAP Urges President Tinubu To Call DSS To Order Over Attack On Rights Group

By Akinwale Kasali

Following series of attacks on its organization, Rights Group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Bola Tinubu to, with immediate effect, order the Department of State Services, DSS, to end the intimidation and harassment and attack against it and withdraw the threat of arrest against its Directors.

The DSS on Wednesday, invaded SERAP’s Abuja office.

SERAP said: “A tall, large, dark-skinned woman entered our office, accompanied by a slim, dark-skinned man and other officers. They were sighted in two unmarked vehicles stationed outside its office.

SERAP said the officers interrogated its officials and requested to see the Organization’s Directors.

The invasion of SERAP’s office, it posited, followed its call on Mr Tinubu and his Government to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse “the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of petrol and to ensure the prompt and thorough investigation of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC.”

In a statement Monday by SERAP’s deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “We condemn the invasion of our Abuja office today by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS). The Tinubu administration must immediately direct the DSS to end the intimidation and harassment of SERAP and our staff members.”

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, said: “We condemn the invasion of SERAP’s office. The Tinubu Government must urgently fish out the officers who carried out the invasion of SERAP’s office in the name of the Government. Anyone found to be responsible for the invasion must be prosecuted. The Government must allow Human Rights defenders to freely carry out their work, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution.”

SERAP’s statement, reads in part: “The invasion of SERAP’s office by the DSS and the harassment and intimidation of our staff members is a brutal assault on the entire human rights community in the country.

“The escalating crackdown on human rights, and harassment and intimidation of NGOs and human rights defenders that have shown astonishing courage in their human rights work hurt those most in need, undermine access of Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses to justice, and contribute to a culture of impunity of perpetrators.

“This Government has an obligation to support and protect civil society groups and human rights defenders. We are seriously concerned about the growing restrictions on civic space and the brutal crackdown on the human rights of Nigerians.

“President Tinubu must urgently instruct appropriate authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate the invasion of our offices and to bring to justice those involved.

“Nigerian authorities must allow SERAP to freely carry out our mandates as recognized under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“Nigerian authorities must end the harassment and intimidation attacks against SERAP and ensure the safety and security of our staff.

“If the Tinubu Government does not take all necessary measures to immediately end the intimidation and harassment of SERAP or any other civil society group for that matter, SERAP will to take appropriate legal action nationally and internationally to challenge the brutal crackdown and hold the authorities to account for their constitutional and international human rights obligations.

“SERAP will continue to work to challenge any attempt to restrict, silence or eliminate the voices of credible civil society in the country. We urge the presidency to speak out strongly against intimidation and harassment of SERAP and our staff.

“Under the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and international human rights law, everyone whose rights are violated is entitled to a right to an effective remedy. Exposing human rights violations and seeking redress for them is largely dependent on the degree of security enjoyed by civil society groups and human rights defenders.

“While some may not like to hear some of the things SERAP has said, this in no way justifies the invasion of our office and harassment and intimidation of our staff members. The authorities should show commitment to protecting the right to freedom of expression and guarantee conditions for civil society to flourish.”