…Buhari Sincere On Human Rights – Onyeama
The Federal Government has told the United Nations Human Rights Council that the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, in which security operatives were used to quell protesters, was evidence that the Muhammadu Buhari administration remains committed to “advancement of human rights” in Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the country’s compliance to citizen’s fundamental human rights should not be doubted by the international community as the government’s acceptance of the #EndSARS protesters’ demands was proof of a sincere government.
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Onyeama spoke at the virtual 46th Regular Session of the UNHRC monitored by our correspondent.
THE WHISTLER recalls that Nigerian soldiers had been accused of opening fire on unarmed protesters on October 20, when some troops stormed the Lekki Toll Gate plaza to enforce a curfew imposed to stop the protests and ensuing violence.
The protesters were demanding an end to police brutality and bad governance.
But Onyeama, who failed to go into details of the unsavoury incident on that day, claimed that the government implemented the demands of the protesters.
“In furtherance of its sincere commitment to the advancement of human rights, it is on record that the government responded swiftly to the October 2020 protests against police excesses, in particular, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
“The government, without hesitation, accepted the five demands of the protesters which included the disbandment of the SARS police unit and the formation of investigative panels across the states of the federation to ensure justice and restitution for all victims of police excesses.
“Nigeria believes that the promotion and protection of human rights are important elements in achieving global peace and security as well as the attainment of the sustainable development goals,” he said on Tuesday.
The minister further claimed that while President Buhari’s administration remained committed to protecting human rights of citizens, the international community needed to avoid judging the events in the country from a bias point of view.
“We must continue to discourage populist political narratives, the spread of fake news, hate speech, incitement to hatred and violence with a bid to ensuring peace and harmony in our societies. Nigeria has strongly condemned all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
“I wish to unequivocally underscore the importance of avoiding politicization of human rights issues, double standards must also be eschewed in international human rights system; it has undoubtedly been counter-productive to the global human rights agenda,” he added.