Omoloye Sowore Detention: Buhari Not in Touch with Democracy - US Reacts

-
The Arrest and Re-arrest of Democracy 
New Jersey is watching . The United State is watching .And the world is watching . 
I fear that the blatant harassment of Mr Sowore , an activist , journalist whose only crime appears to be exercising his right to freedom of expression I’d becoming symptomatic of increasingly closing political and civic space in Nigeria. 
The Nigeria Court had twice ordered his release on bail. And the state Security Agency openly defied the  court order each time leading me to conclude either Nigeria no longer respect the rule of law or President Buhari is woefully out of touch with what agency of his government are doing in his name. This is unacceptable in a country that calls itself a democracy. 
Freedom of the Press is a fundamental pillar of democracy and an indispensable check on government overreach. Journalist who risk their lives to expose the truth should be celebrated not incarcerated. 
Over 200 years ago, our founding fathers had the foresight to recognise the importance of a free press to a fledgling democracy enshrined in our First Amendment. Today that report cannot be overstretched. It is unacceptable to treat the husband and father of a US citizen with such blatant cruelty. 
We stand here with the family who is devastated by the uncertainty that this action have caused. Today, my office contacted our ambassador in Nigeria in an effort to obtain answer about what action the United State is taking on Sowore family’s behalf. 
In the next seven days, I will continue to engage in the State Department in Washington to ascertain the impact of the rearrest or Sowore and the detention of other activist and journalist will have on oir relationship with Nigeria. 
My hope is that the bilateral relationship we have in Nigeria will be reassessed in line with this event. Mr Sowore needs to be free and he needs to be free now. The rule of law must be observed and that means he should be liberated . 

- Bob Menendez , United State Senator for New Jersey, 

Popular posts from this blog

Gunmen kill 400-Level student in Kogi exam hall

-
Image
The Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Police has confirmed the death of Apeh Joseph by unknown gunmen at the Kogi State University , Ayingba . According to the police , the deceased was a 400 - level student of English Education and an alleged cultist. In a statement , released last night by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP William Aya , it claimed that the deceased was behind the cult killing that occurred in the university last month. Aya stated that one Onuche Jibrin of the Security Unit of the Kogi State University filed a complaint at a police station that “one Joseph Apeh , a 400 -Level student of English Education Department of the university , was shot inside the campus by two unknown men on a motorcycle .” The victim, Joseph Apeh, was believed to have just rounded off his final year examinations on Tuesday when he was traced to the campus and gunned down by the assailants. Eyewitness said that the gunmen, who rode on a motorcycle, shot at the victim at clos...
Read more

Breaking: Kogi Guber, disqualification Saga: Natasha’s Defeat INEC at Appeal Court

-
Image
Kogi State Gubernatorial candidates under Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha ’s H. Akpoti defeat Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the appeal court. Recall that Natasha’s was disqualified by INEC to contest for Kogi gubernatorial election that was held on the 16th of November 2019, over what INEC described as age disqualification. According to INEC, the vice gubernatorial candidate to Natasha’s did not meet the age requirements by the constitution. Natasha was reinstated few days to elections, after legal battle, which she clinch victory at the supreme court. INEC disagreed with supreme court judgment, and heads to appeal court. The appeal court this morning strike out the case, over what is describe as lack of merit. Upon hearing of counsel on both sides, Court held that since crux of Appeal was whether the Fed High Court rightfully held that INEC had no power to disqualify Respondent Natasha Akpoti from contesting Kogi Gov. election, whic...
Read more

Gunmen attack Kogi community, kill 19, burn houses

-
Image
By   Emmanuel Francis Gunmen have killed no fewer than 19 people in Tawari community in the Kogi Local Government Area of Kogi State, burning buildings, including the palace of the king of the community. The Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Police Command, Mr. Williams Anya, confirmed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Friday. He said that a police assessment team had visited the community and that many buildings, including places of worship, had been burnt. Tawari community is a few kilometres off Gegu town along the Lokoja-Abuja highway. A resident of Tawari community, Mrs. Comfort Solomon, who survived the attack, told NAN that the gunmen, numbering about 100 invaded the community late on Thursday. She said the gunmen came in their numbers on motorcycles and descended on the village, killing and burning buildings until the early hours of Friday. Solomon said that many places of worship, including the pala...
Read more

SUPREME COURT BARRED GOVERNORS FROM SACKING LG CHAIRMEN.

-
Image
The Supreme Court of Nigeria in a five man panel headed by Justice Olubolade Joe in a unanimous judgement finally put to rest as it Barred state governors from having the power to sack elected local government chairmen and councilors henchforth. Other areas of the ruling that took place on 11th Dec 2019 includes: 1. No state Governor will henchforth have the powers to sack dully elected local government chairmen and the appointment of caretaker chairmen is also barred . 2. The act giving legislative powers to state Assembly members to under a process of sacking elected local government chairmen is NULLED and VOID . 3. That only the legislative arm of the local government Council is empowered with residual constitutional backing to sack council chairmen only on areas found wanting to gross misconduct to rules guiding public servants as it's done to the president and Governors of states. 4. That a copy of the judgement should be served to all 36 state Houses of Assembly a...
Read more

Why we burnt Kogi PDP women leader to death – Suspect

-
Image
The man, Ocholli Edicha,  suspected to be the gang leader of those who led some political thugs to burn Mrs Salome Achejuigu, the PDP women leader to death has confessed that they carried out the dastardly act because he had been nursing a grudge against the woman before the Nov 16th governorship election. Ocholli who spoke with newsmen shortly after been paraded on Wednesday confessed that he was an All progressive Congress (APC) thug who mobilized some other thugs from Ejule in Ofu Local Government Area to set the house on fire and reigned mayhem shortly after the election. It will be recalled that the victim, Mrs Salome Abuh, the Women Leader of Wada Aro Campaign Council, Ochadamu Ward, was said to have been burnt alive in her personal residence when she was resting after treatment from an injury on election day.  While reacting to the banal act, the spokesman, Wada/Aro Campaign Council, Faruk Adejoh-Audu had claimed the thugs, shooting sporadically, arrived Hon...
Read more