The Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) has strongly condemned the invasion of Ikeja Electricity Company by men of the Nigerian Air Force, armed to the teeth, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the matter.
NHRC, established in 2003 with a 135-member body spread across the country, made this demand on Saturday in a release issued and jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Adewale Adeoye; General Secretary, Comrade Digifa David Weri; and Regional Official, Comrade Kudu Abubakar.
The coalition said the panel should identify the remote causes, the officers involved, and ascertain the extent of damage done to the property and staff of the organisation towards paying compensation. It described the invasion, which took place late last week, as a usurpation of civilian authority, an act of violence unleashed on the corporate organisation, and a conscious attempt that undermined democracy in the country.
According to NHRC, taking appropriate steps to unravel those behind the invasion and bringing them to book represents a major test for President Tinubu’s attitude towards creating an enabling environment for foreign and local investments in Nigeria, apart from being an acid test for the government’s commitment to human rights and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The coalition posited that the presidency’s attitude would determine if the current regime tacitly supports brigandage and unconstitutional acts by people in uniform or not. It expressed its resolve to challenge the invasion by armed Air Force personnel or soldiers, which it said should be a thing of the past after 25 years of post-military rule in the country, using all local and international legal instruments to which Nigeria is fully committed.
“Invasion of private or corporate institutions by armed Air Force personnel or soldiers should be a thing of the past after 25 years of post-military rule. The orders for the invasion by some senior officers violated the Nigerian Constitution and portrayed the country as facing the prospect of brute force intervention, yet with an elected president, in a democracy.
“We are appalled that in this century, armed soldiers could forcefully enter the corporate headquarters of a strategic service provider, beat up its staff, destroy property, and even threaten to shoot the workers. This is savage and shows a lack of discipline and professionalism on the part of the Air Force personnel,” NHRC said.
Speaking further, the coalition noted that even though it was unusual for the Air Force base to be denied electricity for 12 days, such was not enough justification to resort to violence and banditry in pursuit of their cause.
It further noted that the result would be anarchy at the state and federal levels if every aggrieved Nigerian or association were to resort to violence to register their grievances.l
The coalition, while observing that the Nigerian Air Force performs critical roles linked to national security, therefore highlighted the need for constant provision of electricity as key to optimum performance on their part. However, it quickly pointed out that there was no way the choice of violent armed attacks and invasion of Ikeja Electricity offered the best solution.
“Democracy and dialogue are slow but remain the surest and legitimate means of conflict resolution. Violence, no matter the provocation, can never replace the dictates of the constitution,” the coalition said.
The coalition, therefore, demanded that the Nigerian Air Force should be made to pay compensation to Ikeja Electricity Company and the victims for the damages and the destructive attacks carried out by its personnel, saying that to allow the issue to be swept under the carpet would set a bad precedent for the country.
This was just as NHRC said the Nigerian Air Force had many options available, which included continuous dialogue, involvement of the Presidency, the Service Chiefs, and the National Assembly for immediate intervention, which might involve the temporary purchase of high-powered generators to cater for special security needs.
“If the Air Force has a good case, the resort to violence, destruction of corporate property, and savage assaults on Ikeja Electricity workers has annulled any justification they may have. This issue should not be swept under the carpet,” it said.
The NHRC also called for a national dialogue on energy provision for millions of Nigerians, saying that efficient, transparent, and affordable energy provision remains the only way to the country’s industrial, economic, and social upliftment.
