The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for the prosecution of all the security operatives involved in the invasion of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
Some operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had in a bid to rearrest the Publisher of sSaharareporters, Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, invaded Court 7 presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu who is hearing the alleged treasonable felony charges against the defendants.
In condemning the action of the security operatives, the commission, in a statement, said it is necessary for those who desecrated the hallowed chamber of the court to be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.
“As officials paid with tax payers money, there is no room for impunity and utter disregard for the constitution. Our democracy is founded on the principle of separation of powers and all citizens including law enforcement officials must understand the implications of that and are enjoined to respect the law and the constitution in the enforcement of the law.
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“Accordingly, the commission directs all the relevant agencies of government to arrest and try all law enforcement officers involved in the desecration of the hallowed chambers of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday 6th Dec 2019 for contempt in the face of the court.
“They should be tried and this should serve as a reminder to all law enforcement agents that they must obey the law in carrying out their law enforcement duties. They must enforce the law within the law,” the statement said.
The commission, which said it watched with dismay the conduct of the law enforcement officers in the Federal High Court in Abuja, reiterated the need for law enforcement officials to understand that to qualify as law enforcement agents, they must first of all be law abiding and not be above the law.
“Impunity by law enforcement officials cannot be indulged in our democracy because impunity uproots the very foundation of our constitution and our democracy,” the statement added.