19th November, 2024
PRESS RELEASE:
STOP ARBITRARY ARREST OF MUSLIMS IN
OGBOMOSO – MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described
the recent spate of arrests of Muslim youths in Ogbomoso as arbitrary, dangerous,
odious and insidious. While pointing accusing finger at the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba
Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the group called on the Oyo State Police Command to stop
the ugly trend and remain neutral.
MURIC made the call on Tuesday, 19th
November, 2024 in a press release signed by its Founder and Executive Director,
Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The release said:
“The Ogbomoso Muslim Youths Forum has cried out
over the current spate of arrests of its members. Four Muslim youths were arrested
and detained last week by the police.
“Kasimu Owolabi was arrested in Ogbomoso on Monday
11th November, 2024. He was taken to Eleiyele, Ibadan where he spent
two nights. His release was secured on Wednesday, 13th November,
2024.
“On the same day, i.e. Wednesday, 13th
November, 2024, another Ogbomoso Muslim youth, Adebisi Muritala, was arrested and
moved to Ibadan where he also passed the night.
“Still not satisfied, the police again arrested two
other Muslim youths, namely, Abdulsalam Abdullahi and Mustapha AbdulRahman, that
same week.
“We are constrained to bring this disturbing trend
to the attention of the Nigerian public. Muslim youths in Ogbomoso can no
longer sleep at home. Neither can they walk the streets freely. Their
attendance in the mosque to worship has been equally endangered as any of them
can be picked up at any time.
“MURIC
strongly condemns this spate of arrests. It is arbitrary, dangerous, odious and
insidious. It is a barbaric attack on freedom of speech, a brutal assault on freedom
of movement and a gross violation of Allah-given fundamental human rights of Ogbomoso
Muslim youths.
“But there is no smoke without fire. At least the
last two detainees were allegedly picked up for leaking a petition reportedly authored
from the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso. It was also alleged that the first
detainee, Kasimu Owolabi, was arrested for ‘insulting’ the Soun during a
protest held by Ogbomoso Muslims against the monarch. It is now obvious that Soun’s
reign of terror is already in full motion.
“The allegations levelled against the Muslim
youths run counter to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. Section 39
of the constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression by
stipulating as follows: Every person shall
be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to
receive and impact ideas and information without interference.
“Arbitrary
arrest is an open contravention of Section 41 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which says inter alia, ‘Every citizen
of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any
part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or
refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.’
“By extension, Article 12 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 12 of
the African Charter on Human and People’s rights lay strong emphasis on the
right of citizens of all countries to move freely within their borders.
“The question is being asked, ‘Why are Ogbomoso
Muslim youths being hounded right, left and center?’ Well, the witch cried
yesterday, the child died today, do we have to go far looking for the child’s
killer? We do not have to consult any oracle to find out who is behind the
spate of arrests.
“We charge
the Oyo State Police Command to remain neutral. The command must discharge its
duties with utmost finesse. Hounding Muslim youths merely for expressing
dissent is unprofessional, unethical and undignifying for any police force that
seeks and cherishes global standard behaviour. Oyo State Police Command must stop
this wave of intimidation and suppression.
“One-time British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
who ruled from May 1937 to May 1940 spoke of five evils: brute force, bad
faith, injustice, oppression and persecution. Those five evils have been fully
manifested in Ogbomoso under a pastor turned totalitarian traditional ruler. The
police have no business sharpening his weapon of tyranny. It is illegal to obey
unlawful instruction.
“The danger here is that the king is visiting his tools
of oppression on the Muslims of the ancient town. Something is terribly wrong
if a pastor becomes king and starts targeting Muslim land for conversion to what
it was not intended for and orchestrating the mass arrest of Muslims.
“MURIC calls for the enforcement of fundamental
human rights of Ogbomoso Muslims with immediate effect. We warn that Nigerian
Muslims will not stand akimbo while the right to personal liberty of Ogbomoso Muslims in particular and that
of any other Muslim anywhere in this country is compromised. Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere.”
#OyoPoliceCommand
#StopArbitraryArrests
#OgbomosoMuslims
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC
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