Romanus Okoye
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); office of the Inspector -General of Police; office of the Federal Attorney General and minister of justice and the
National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to take over the matter of alleged sexual attacks and physical torture of a Kogi beauty queen, Miss Elizabeth Oyeniyi ,by a serving commissioner, Abdulmuminu Danga
HURIWA expressed fears that the matter may be swept under the carpet of impunity and urged the relevant authorities to take over the investigations and deliver efficacious justice.
HURIWA also said that the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello ,has not taken drastic measures to punish his staff accused of kidnapping and raping a citizen only because she criticised him on the social media.
The human rights association expressed fears that having just come out from a tough and violence prone elections in which he was returned as the winner in an election ,he may not want to offend anyone.
“Kogi State has just had a tumultuous election in which violence took centre stage with armed political thugs using violence. It is alleged that most of the newly appointed commissioners may have worked as political thugs or those who procured disposable armed political thugs who manipulated that shameful election in which even the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu publicly admitted that armed political thugs were better armed than the regular police.
“It is usually the practice in most states that after elections those who helped to install the governor are rewarded. Kogi is not an exception. So it may be practically impossible for the governor of Kogi state to professionally supervise any independent investigation into the allegations of abduction, false imprisonment and alleged rape of a citizen.
“HURIWA has learnt that governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has ordered accelerated investigation into the alleged battering and rape of a beauty queen, Elizabeth Oyeniyi, by the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdumumini Danga.”