The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has voiced strong condemnation against the Kogi State Police and Governor Usman Ododo, accusing them of politically motivated interference in Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s planned visit to her family home and engagement with her constituents.
HURIWA, through a statement issued by its National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleges that the Kogi State Police, rather than maintaining their impartial role, have become a tool for the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly within Kogi State.
The group specifically criticizes the Kogi State Police for citing fabricated security concerns, under the direction of the state government, as a pretext to obstruct Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s visit.
HURIWA expresses deep dismay at the perceived transformation of the Nigeria Police Force into an instrument of the APC, lamenting its departure from its constitutional mandate to serve the common good.
The organization calls for urgent action from the police hierarchy to sever its alleged partisan ties with the ruling party, emphasizing the need for the police to operate in accordance with the constitution and the Police Act of 2020.
According to HURIWA, the current situation represents a calculated effort to infringe upon the senator’s fundamental rights to freedom of movement, assembly, and expression.
The group further condemns the APC’s involvement, labeling it an abuse of power, and demands a thorough investigation into the conduct of the Kogi State Police and its commissioner.
HURIWA questions the rationale behind the police’s compliance with what they perceive as politically driven directives from the APC governor, challenging the legitimacy of the cited security threats.
The organization believes that the purported security concerns are a politically motivated strategy by the APC to impede the senator’s scheduled rally, characterizing such actions as undemocratic and unacceptable.
