By Our Correspondent
HUMAN Rights has become a popular appeal all over the world as it is one of the most discussed and highly sensitive political and legal issues that emerged after the Second World War.
In Nigeria, every 14th of December marked as Human Rights Day, surprisingly many lacked the knowledge of their rights and this make them a victim in their society.
Everyone has at one point or the other, heard the word human rights, first as human and as a citizen of a particular country there are certain things that citizen are automatically entitled to and they are called ‘Our Rights’.
According to constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, a good number of fundamental human rights are enshrined, among these right are: Right to life, freedom of movement, dignity of human person, right to freedom from discrimination on the ground of sex, race, tribe, creed, religion, political opinion or association; right to fear and equal hearing, right to private and family life, right to freedom of expression and press; right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; right to peaceful assembly and or association; right to personal liberty; right to ownership of property; right to vote and be voted for; right to education.
Nigeria has made serious improvements in human rights under this constitution though the American Human Rights Report of 2012 notes areas where significant improvement is needed, which include: abuses by Boko Haram, killings by governmental forces, lack of social equality, and issues with freedom of speech.
As part of activities marking the Human Rights Day, the 2015 edition brings to the front burner, the case of NIMAH Group, a Yobe-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and socio-political association that was championing the course of youth and emancipating for the rightful position of youth in the scheme of things in the state.
In 2012, the group staged a peaceful protest to draw the attention of government to unprecedented rise in the number of youth unemployment, low level of female and male child education, as well as high level child morbidity and maternal mortality in the state.
It was however unfortunate to note that the peaceful protest staged by the group was turned out to be violent as a result of it being hijacked by political miscreants to perpetrate evil. The ugly event led to the loss of lives and properties worth millions of naira in Damaturu.
As a result, the group was designated to be an affiliate of the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram by government. This made thePresident of the group, Ahmed Labala Musa and two other members, Ibrahim Dantsoho and Muhammad Inua Al-Hassan fled the state to willingly dissociate themselves from the designated-association and its activities at Gborodusa Police station in Kano State.
The event took another dimension in 2015 and led to the killing of two top members of the group Ibrahim Dantsoho and Muhammad Inua Al-Hassan after several distress calls for dissociating themselves from being part of a group designated to be an affiliate of Boko Haram. Among the deserters was Ahmed Labala Musa who his whereabout is yet to be determined.
Investigation further revealed that two of the deserters were reported assassinated with their families by the unknown gunmen and their properties were burnt to ashes.
According a source who pleaded anonymity said their death might not be unconnected with their renunciations having liking the group to the dreaded Boko Haram.
Shortly after the incident, our correspondent also reports a telephone conversation with Ahmed Labala Musa, former President of the group, who was said to have escaped death as the unknown gunmen visited his residence. Musa was not ready to disclose his whereabouts.
Musa said: “I have been receiving some strange and distressed calls from different unknown people who had been promising me death almost on daily basis, few weeks after my wife was kidnapped. “I was so fortunate not to be at home, maybe I would have gone by now.
According to him, he said, he was not a terrorist; he was only championing the course of youth in the state, seeking for the rightful position for the youth in the scheme of things.
As at the time of going to press, none of Musa’s family members did not know his whereabouts as his case was said to have been reported to the Police.
Amnesty International has earlier reports that the human rights situation in Nigeria is “pretty shocking”. According to it, women, men and children live in constant fear of murder and abduction by Boko Haram and of arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention, torture and even execution at the hands of the military.
It equally notes that, it is not just the violence in the north-east of the country that is extremely worrying. The problems within Nigeria’s justice system, for example, are deeply entrenched. The research says: Boko Haram is responsible for much of the violence and death that has rocked large parts of Nigeria.
As the government continue to claim that they are trying to stop Boko Haram and make people in the country safe. They have also promised to end human rights violations by security forces and to make international human rights treaties part of national laws, including by criminalising torture.
Till date, killer of Ibrahim Dantsoho and Muhammad Inua Al-Hassan is yet to be apprehended while the whereabouts of Ahmed Labala Musa dead or alive is still shrouded in obscurity.
At the event marking the human rights Day, the human rights organisations, activists and analysts advised that some steps authorities should take without delay: They also advised that leaders and candidates must refrain from inflammatory campaign rhetoric and the government and security forces must do all in their power to ensure the protection of civilians and the respect for human rights.
Amnesty International urges the new government to put human rights at the top of its agenda in order to break Nigeria’s nationwide cycle of violence.
Analysts also agreed that, the new government must initiate independent, impartial and thorough investigations into allegations of all crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed by members of Boko Haram and the Nigerian military.
They said that government should take immediate measures to guarantee the safety, security and protection of civilians and their property in the communities affected [truncated by ongoing violence.
