Halt country’s drift towards absolute dictatorship, CSOs, others warn

By Eno-Abasi Sunday, Gbenga Salau (Lagos) and Terhemba Daka (Abuja)

September 14 2020   | The Biafra Times

With the third invitation extended by the Department of State Services (DSS) to a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, Nigerians and civil society groups have continued to come down hard on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government over its alleged increasing lack of tolerance for divergent views, as well as criticisms of its performance.

According to them, not only is this incessant invitations breaching the rights of Nigerians to freely express themselves in a democracy as enshrined in the universal fundamental principles of human rights, it also represents a blatant attempt by the government to cage the people from demanding good governance.

While warning that the Nigerians leaders are losing credibility in the comity of nations as a result of the actions of the country’s security agencies, they stressed the need to urgently curb the country’s gradual drift towards absolute dictatorship under this regime as a result of shrinking of civic space.

In the last seven weeks or thereabouts, some prominent Nigerians like Mailafia, former House of Representatives Speaker, Ghali Na’Abba, and artistes Tiwa Savage and Don Jazzy have allegedly been quizzed by security agencies, including the DSS and the Nigeria Police for either criticising the performance of the administration. Some of them were allegedly cautioned to steer clear of making political comments.

Reacting to the spate of harassment of citizens by security agencies, the Amnesty International (Nigeria) said the country’s constitution is very clear that citizens are free to express their opinions on every issue. Therefore, “stopping or restricting them constitutes an abuse and violation of their rights.”

Board chairman of the group in the country, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, said instead of harassing Nigerians, “whatever comment made should be subjected to verification and action. The state is fast moving to stricken the civil space for citizens. A reasonable government should restrain itself from such, especially as freedom of expression is non-negotiable. The government should not cage Nigerians from expressing their views. If anybody says anything that is not true, the person’s credibility is at stake, and Nigerians would not take them serious.

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“So, it is not proper for government and security agencies to keep intimidating citizens. We at Amnesty International (Nigeria) are against it as we are here to promote citizens’ rights. When a government cages the people from expressing their views, it is not a good development, and it is bad for the image of the country regionally and globally. This is aside from the fact that Nigerians leaders will be loosing credibility in the comity of nations,” he stated.

Musa continued: “Last Thursday, 10 people were kidnapped in Abuja, this is what the security agencies should be alert to stop and not going after those expressing contrary views. It is shameful for a government to be intolerant of contrary views because it goes contrary to the constitution of the country.”

As far as constitutional and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong is concerned, “the country is moving towards absolute dictatorship under this regime. The civic space is shrinking because of the intolerance of the Buhari regime to criticisms and dissenting opinions. The constant harassment of Dr. Mailafia by the DSS and the police should worry any true believer of a democratic society.

“This regime has shown more aggression towards people who speak against it than Boko Haram. Since General Buhari came to power, there has been escalation of attacks on journalists, lawyers, activists and peaceful protesters. Many Nigerians have been murdered by the security forces for simply engaging in peaceful protests. The police and the SSS have neglected their constitutional roles of protecting lives and property and are now preoccupied with arresting and detaining critics and opponents of the regime,” the legal practitioner said.

He pointed out: Across the country, governors have been emboldened by the impunity of the Federal Government to clampdown on critics, and free speech has been criminalised in Nigeria under Buhari. We cannot continue like this. A situation where people are arrested and detained, even in defiance of the court is unacceptable and condemnable.” 

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He warned that “this descent into full dictatorship has to be halted. Section 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every person the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. These are rights that the Nigerian people have fought for and won. We should not allow a lawless regime that has failed in its electoral promises to subvert the rule of law.”

For the pioneer secretary-general, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Debo Adeniran, extending invitations to citizens by security agencies is not all that matters, rather, the outcome of such invitations that should be of concern to the generality of Nigerians.

Adeniran, who is the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) added that there are occasions when people make remarks or give information that are not generally available in the public space. When this happens, security agencies may think that such persons could help them shed light on the issues they raised or the remarks that they made. “It has happened to me a couple of times, even in the days of military rule.

“Of course, it is the fundamental right of every citizen to have freedom of speech, association, to hold opinion and disseminate it along the dictate of the law. What should not be tolerated is a situation whereby people who do not make inflammatory remarks, are unjustly invited. It should be noted that there is no freedom that is absolute anyway,” the consultant educationalist added.

He said even when citizens resort to protests, “as long as the protests are not violent, the government does not have any business stopping it. What government should do is to send its agents to join the protesters, listen to their demands, and take the information back to government for it to know the grievances of the citizenry. It is not the business of government to be over sensitive, and resort to stopping peaceful protests with brute force. That is not acceptable in a democracy, and is a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.

“Even though we agree that no right is absolute. But the government should be tolerant of opposing remarks. Instead of chasing after the messenger, government should find a way of fixing the complaints and ensuring that there is good governance, accommodation and tolerance.”

Attempts to get the Presidency to comment on the travails of Mailafia, the former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 general election failed as presidential spokespersons, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina failed to respond to emails or calls and text messages sent to their mobile phones.

Source: Guardian

The Biafra Times

Publisher: Chijindu Benjamin Ukah

Contact us: [email protected]

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Hate Speech Bill: The Story of the Dead Broom President and his Mimicking Handlers

Eluwa Chidiebere Chinazu | Biafra Writers

December 10, 2019

In Nigeria, from 2017 till date, there have been many unanswered questions, caliginous situations denied of tangible ventilation, intentional lack of investigative journalism and overwhelming inappropriateness on the side of the military. These years have been characterised by unguided statements from the presidency that if x-rayed, is not typical of the president the people used to know from 2015-2016 – the one who promised to be a changed person.

President Buhari of 2015-2016, though blunt with words, never disrespected Nigerians when found outside the shores of the country. But his utterances took a different dimension from 2017 when the news of his death was announced by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The president who suffered brain cancer and was operated upon, reported to be intravenously fed by many Nigerian news outlets, was said to have triumphed against all the odds and came back alive.

The implicating statement from the wife where she reminded the people of the first two years of his husband in power which, according to her, were good, and her assertion that few people have hijacked the seat of power, lends credence to the narrative of the President being dead and replaced by a body double. The seven scientific evidences provided by the Biafran leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, about the death of the president are yet to be disputed. These are necessary questions that were conspiratorially swept under the carpet in the guise of protecting national honour.

To ascertain if truly the person in Aso Rock is still the President Buhari that was sworn into office in 2015 or a body double impersonating him, the actions ensuing from the office of the presidency since 2017 need to be scrutinized.

In his first two years of reign – 2015-2016 – the president brought national disgrace to the country. We saw a president who was struggling to adapt to modern day technology in Germany as he was fighting with the headset given to him. We saw a president who got terrified at the sight of German military parade organized in his own honour. We saw other national embarrassments from the then President Buhari.

But from February 2017 onwards, the people met the worst version of the president – one that insults his people calling them ''lazy'' before the world. It is very clear that only a foreigner can present the people he is leading as lazy at the intentional scene. It therefore seems like the president is being mimicked by a few men – those the wife referred to.

The most glaring evidence before everyone is the resurrection of capital punishment on hate speech. No one will ever believe that a president who promised to change his old records is still returning to the actual laws and actions that nearly cost him his political career. The mimickers have gone too far in copying the character of the late president in this one. They know truly that the capital punishment on hate speech cannot be admissible in the country but are using it to fake the presence of the dead President Buhari.



The Biafra Times
Edited by Nelson Ofokar Yagazie
Publisher: Chijindu Benjamin Ukah

Contact us: [email protected]

Nigeria: The Evil We Ignored

Princewill Akubumma |Biafra Writers

August 8, 2019

In the civilized world, insurgence or terror attack is given prompt attention. Not only do the relevant authorities quell the current incident, they strive as well to prevent future occurrences. This is because evil only persists if we keep silent.

In democratic settings, the people draw government’s attention to pressing issues via protest – the fastest way to do so. This is because it is expected of humans to take cognizance of other people’s predicament whenever calamity comes calling, knowing that if he does nothing, such calamity would one day get to him. Evil thrives in a society where good people refuse to act.

While most Nigerians were still dozing, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saw the evil festering in Nigeria and took to the streets, protesting and seeking redress.

The senseless and now incessant killings in the country by Fulani herdsmen under the Buhari-led government started with peasant farmers. As the poor farmers were hacked to death in their farm lands, Nigerians didn't care. They believed it wouldn’t get to them.  With time though, the Fulani upped their game and began to attack traditional rulers. Still, most Nigerians – especially those in urban areas – didn’t care a hoot, believing only villagers are at risk.

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It soon extended to church members, the middle class, and just recently, the daughter of Afenifere chieftain got murdered by the herdsmen – confirming that even the elite is not exempt. Sadly, the Nigerian populace is yet to come to terms with the reality that only a revolution can stop such catastrophe, given the fact that the herders have the backing of the current government. They are still hoping that somehow the evil will stop on its own or that God will come down from heaven to put a stop to it.

Drunk with the opium of the masses – religion – they kept on with the liturgical illusion, “prayer for Nigeria in distress.” Many, even the clergy, called IPOB’s peaceful protests demonic, canvassing a forceful halt to it. They took sides with the corrupt government and sanctioned the illegal proscription of IPOB and its tagging as a terrorist organization.

Interestingly, the old saying, “what goes around comes around,” rises over time to remind humans that the evil we ignore today comes calling tomorrow.  The terrorist herdsmen are today abducting and killing even priests. The clergy is now staging protests – same thing they called demonic. If only they had known, they would have joined forces with IPOB earlier and put a stop to the festering evil. They ignored it, today they are suffering it.


The Biafra Times
Edited by Nelson Ofokar Yagazie
Publisher: Chijindu Benjamin Ukah
Contact us: [email protected]