The Police Group Relations Committee (PCRC) has dismissed allegations made by human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, in opposition to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Power, describing them as politically motivated and baseless.
Adeyanju, in a video launched on February 5 and a petition submitted to a number of worldwide our bodies, together with the USA, the UK, Canada, and the European Union, accused Adejobi of suppressing free speech and utilizing his place to intimidate critics of the federal government.
Adeyanju, within the petition, known as for a visa ban on Adejobi, alleging that he had been concerned in actions that infringed upon the rights of people to specific their views freely.
“Nigerians have to be conscious of who Muyiwa Adejobi is. He thinks the Police PRO’s work is about browsing the web and arresting individuals who criticise the police. He believes the function is about jailing people, particularly those that name for accountability inside the police pressure,” Adeyanju acknowledged.
PCRC, in its response on Sunday, known as Adeyanju “a grade C human rights activist” and accused him of launching a deliberate, politically motivated marketing campaign to wreck Adejobi’s popularity and, by extension, the Nigeria Police Power, with no justifiable however politically motivated and egocentric causes.
PCRC additionally accused Adeyanju of appearing on “a paid mission” to tarnish the picture of legislation enforcement in Nigeria resulting from his alliance with former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
“We’re frightened that Deji and his sponsors, at this age and time, have no idea that rights to free speech have limitations not solely in Nigeria however globally. If Deji has forgotten, we’re positive Nigerians are but to overlook the devastating results of assorted free however demonic and violence-inspired speeches in opposition to the federal government, people, and even non secular teams, which have claimed the lives of many harmless Nigerians and led to avoidable devastating losses,” PCRC acknowledged.
PCRC additionally mentioned Adeyanju failed to tell the worldwide group in his petition how Adejobi has advisable disciplinary procedures for erring police personnel, with many now demoted in rank, others dismissed, and a few charged to court docket for capital offences.
“One now wonders how the identical man who on a number of events rose up and nonetheless stands in opposition to unprofessional conduct from police personnel is now the one utilizing his place to intimidate Nigerians in Deji Adeyanju’s dream. Since there’s a transparent distinction between law-abiding residents and the lawless ones, we have now a sense that those that normally patronise Deji are the lawless ones who’ve little or zero regard for our legal guidelines, particularly those associated to social media utilization,” it added.
“If our legal guidelines require a excessive stage of decency and decorum in our utilization of social media, particularly on the subject of criticising people, company our bodies, or the federal government to protect in opposition to actions or statements which are able to inflicting points or extreme penalties which will result in a breach of public peace, it’s our duty to make sure that expressions are made decently with out abusive and defamatory statements.
“This isn’t an excessive amount of of a worth for us to pay contemplating the hazards concerned when everyone, together with the sane and insane, is left on our social media areas with out laws. The police are legislation enforcement brokers and, as such, shouldn’t be subjected to non-public assaults for implementing the legal guidelines made by the individuals via their representatives. We now have seen many individuals, particularly traffic-seeking social media customers and bloggers, go overboard with unsubstantiated and pretend information alerts with out pondering of the massive destructive results on the bigger society so long as they appeal to large visitors.”
PCRC additionally famous that Adeyanju’s claims are usually not based mostly on information however on a “private vendetta” in opposition to Adejobi, describing the latter’s behaviour as “social media gangsterism” below the guise of human rights activism.
PCRC, nevertheless, urged Adeyanju to take some classes from “respected human rights” organisations like CDHR, HRGDS, CLO, and different teams who present up for law-abiding residents and never the lawless ones who’ve turned Adeyanju’s legislation agency into their Holy Land.
PCRCadded, “A reggae music observe with out vocal fashion and tempo can not make the listing of Alaba music awards, to not discuss of the Grammys. Mr. Adeyanju should do higher subsequent time with the appropriate instrumentation, concord, and rhythm.”
