CSOs petition NHRC over alleged prolonged detention, death of people arrested in S/East

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By Madu Obi

The coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in the South East geopolitical zone, has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, over the allegation of prolonged, arbitrary and incommunicado detention of civilians reportedly arrested during security operations in the Southeast at Wawa Military Barracks in Niger State.

The CSOs also called on NHRC to investigate reports concerning the discovery and alleged movement of large number of unidentified bodies from mortuaries in Imo State, including facilities at Ngor Okpala and Mbieri General Hospitals in the state.

In the petition by 20 CSOs, which was copied to the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, the Director General of Department of State Services, Ohaneze Ndigbo, among others, the coalition said although it is not presenting the allegations as established facts, the seriousness and consistency of the reports from multiple sources, create a compelling basis for an independent investigation capable of establishing the truth, identifying the victims and determining responsibility.

According to the petition, persons arrested in connection with security operations in the Southeast and persons accused of terrorism-related offences or alleged association with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, are being held for prolonged periods and, in some cases, allegedly without effective access to family members, lawyers or independent oversight.

The petition read: "Accounts attributed to former detainees and other sources allege blindfolding during transfers, incommunicado detention, inadequate living conditions, physical abuse, psychological trauma, inadequate medical care and, in some cases, deaths in custody. There are also allegations that some detainees remained unaccounted for by their families for prolonged periods.

"Recent reports have further highlighted individual cases of persons allegedly held at Wawa for years without effective access to family or legal representation. Publicly available reporting has also raised questions concerning the death in custody of one Calista Ifedi, who was reportedly detained at Wawa from 2021 and whose fate was not known to her family for a prolonged period.

"We are particularly concerned by allegations that civilians arrested during security operations in the Southeast may have been transferred to Wawa and held there for extended periods without adequate judicial oversight.

"If substantiated, such conduct could constitute violations of Sections 34, 35 and 36 of the

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as Nigeria's obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture.

"The fact that a person is suspected of terrorism or another serious offence, does not remove the person's entitlement to humane treatment, access to counsel, judicial oversight and a fair hearing."

The coalition claimed that Amnesty International has independently raised concerns about the reports and stated that it obtained video footage showing the movement of large number of human remains at night, many reportedly at an advanced stage of decomposition, and called on the authorities to account for the bodies, establish their identities and causes of death.

The coalition added: "The authorities should establish who the deceased persons are, when, where and how they died; how and when their remains came to be in the affected mortuaries; whether they were admitted as patients before their deaths; who authorized their movement; where the remains have been taken and for what purpose; and what steps have been taken to identify the deceased and notify their families.

"The issues raised by this petition go beyond individual cases. They concern the fundamental principle that national security operations must remain subject to constitutional safeguards, judicial oversight and respect for human dignity.

"A person suspected of terrorism or any other offence does not lose the protection of the

Constitution. Likewise, the death of a person does not extinguish that person's dignity or the right of the family to know what happened.

"Every detainee is entitled to humane treatment and due process. Every missing person has a family entitled to know his or her fate. Every deceased person is entitled to identification and dignified treatment. And where the circumstances of a disappearance or death are uncertain, the State has a responsibility to establish the truth.

"The NHRC has the mandate and institutional responsibility to provide an independent response to these concerns. We therefore urge the Commission to treat this petition as a matter of exceptional public importance and urgency, commence the requested investigations without delay, and keep the petitioners informed of the steps taken".

The petitioners said they are prepared to provide available documentation and facilitate contact with affected families, former detainees, lawyers, witnesses and other relevant sources.