AEPB responds to NHRC summons on raids, rights violations

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) were at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to answer to allegations of human rights violations from raids on night clubs and other locations in Abuja.

A release made available to newsman in Abuja by the Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Lambert Oparah, the NHRC had on May 10 issued summons to the director of the AEPB following complaints received from some civil society organizations over allegations of raids on night clubs, arrests, molestations and sexual assaults by agents of the FCT led by the AEPB.

Coordinator of the Abuja Municipal Metropolitan Council, (AMMC), Alhaji Baba Lawal appeared before the commission alongside the sirectors, security services, social welfare, development control and Abuja Environmental Protection Board.

The representatives of the civil society organizations led by the Head of Amnesty International, Osai Ojigho read out the complaints which centered on the violations of the rights of the victims of the raid, especially women who were alleged to have been discriminated against, sexually molested and manhandled by agents of the FCTA.

He also provided video clips of the testimony of victims alleged arrests, sexual assaults and violation of the rights of the women by the agents of FCT to support their claim.

Agencies in attendance were part of the team that constituted the taskforce that carried out the raids. Each of the heads of the departments were given time to speak on the raids.

Executive Secretary NHRC, Tony Ojukwu noted that the allegations over the molestation of women in the FCT has raised a lot of public concern.

The NHRC, he explained is acting within its powers and mandate by wading into the matter not to witch hunt but to correct what is wrong and forestall future occurrences to check impunity and further violations of human rights.

“The right to freedom of movement, association, leisure, recreation and privacy are necessary entitlements of the people of Nigeria and FCT in particular,” he added.

The AEPB director said the action to raid the clubs was not meant to humiliate the women or anybody but to ensure that the Abuja master plan is not undermined.

At the end of the meeting, the resolutions were as follows, that further raids by the FCT taskforce should be put on hold pending the mainstreaming of human rights into their operations and that the distortion of the FCT master plan be targeted at business owners and the FCT officials themselves who approve such alterations, and not the innocent citizens using the facilities provided.

It was also resolved that a training programme to mainstream human rights is to be organized by the NHRC and other development partners for the personnel of the FCT and the taskforce while an investigation to fish out and bring to book those officials and security agents who perpetrated the various acts of violation and impunity in the course of the raids will be conducted.

A meeting between the clubs, similar business owners and the FCT be facilitated by the NHRC to reduce noise pollution in Abuja, ensure respect for the rights of others, the rule of law and compliance to official regulations.