A rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has accused the Governor Charles Soludo administration in Anambra State of allegedly arresting residents of the indiscriminately and of committing rights abuses.
It called on the Soludo administration to respect the fundamental human rights of the citizens.
The group said those arrested and detained for criminal offenses, such as felonies or misdemeanors or simple offenses should be charged to court or granted administrative bail within the constitutionally prescribed timeframes.
These demands were contained in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Lead-Researcher/Head Intersociety.
It urged the state government to desist from the false labeling and hearsay conclusions and entertainment of frivolous or cooked up petitions, with which thousands of defenseless citizens have been arrested and detained across the state, without proper investigations and trial.
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“Processes leading to invocation of power of arrest by various conventional and unconventional security establishments across the state must be investigative and fair-hearing driven,” the group said.
Intersociety alleged that it has received reports indicting the state government of indiscriminate breaches of citizens’ constitutional liberties by coercive agents holding brief for the Soludo-led government.
I“Several citizens of the state are indiscriminately being labeled under controversial circumstances, hunted down and clamped into indefinite detention, ranging from three months to five months or more without trial or police administrative bail.
“There are also strong pieces of evidence showing that the state security outfit (Agunaechemba/Udo Gachi) has led the way by arresting several citizens and detaining them extra jus, extra legal and extrajudicial as a pretext or cover.
“Chief priests of the anciently instituted communal deities, including custodians of ancient market deities are among those framed or falsely labeled, arrested and detained without trial or threatened with arrest and detention under the above circumstances,” the group said.
