Skip to main content
search
Tag

Nigeria Police Force - Centre for Democracy & Development

FACT-CHECK: Has Kano Police Banned Ramadan Traditional Street Drama (Tashe)?

By Fact Check

VERDICT: True

Claim:

On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, reports that the Kano State Police has banned the annual traditional street drama popularly known as Tashe swamped the internet.

The report published by several organisations including Rahma TV said some bad eggs with the state are using the opportunity to commit heinous crimes.  

FACT:

The news that Kano State Police Command has banned this year’s traditional street drama popularly known as “Tashe” in Hausa is true. The command’s public relations officer, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the ban has not affected the traditional street drama performed by children.

The yearly traditional street drama popularly called “Tashe” in Hausa is performed when by children and other individuals to entertain the public.

He said: “The traditional street drama ban in Kano is restricted for adult individuals. The performance usually results in crimes such as phone snatching, theft of properties, fights between thugs among others.”

“That is the reason we decided to ban it this time around as a measure to prevent the occurrence of the crimes resulting from the traditional Ramadan street drama,” Kiyawa said.

CONCLUSION:

The news that the Kano State Police Command has banned this year’s Ramadan traditional street drama is true.

The Kano State Police spokesperson, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the ban only restricts adult performance but not children.

The CDD urges members of the public to read beyond headlines before sharing any news report, especially on social media.

You can forward suspicious messages for verification via +2349062910568 or contact us on Twitter @CDDWestAfrica

#StopFakeNews #StopDisinformation

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

April 23, 2021
Love0

Tantancewar Da CDD Ta Aiwatar: Ba a Yiwa DIG Moses Jitoboh Ritaya Ba

By Fact Check

Tushen Magana:

A ranar 7 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2021, masu bin diddigin labarai da gano sahihancin su na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba (CDD) sun gano wani labari da ya janyo cece-kuce tsakanin masu amfani da shafin Twitter. Labarin ya ce Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari ya kebe a mataimakin Sipeta Janar na Yan Sandan Najeriya DIG Moses Jitoboh dan shekaru 52 a gefe guda inda ya nada Usman Alkali Baba dan shekaru 57 a matsayin sabon Sipeta Janar na Yan Sandan Najeriya.

Labarin ya kara da cewa DIG Jitoboh yana gaba da Usman Alkali a matsayi kuma an nada Alkalin ne dan tabbatar da cewa Musulmi kuma dan arewacin Najeriya ne ya hau mukamin Sipeta Janar din.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Binciken da CDD ta gudanar ya gano cewa DIG Moses Jitoboh baya gaban DIG Usman Alkali a mukami.

Binciken CDD din ya kara gano cewa Usman Alkali Baba wadda yanzu shine sabon Sipeta Janar din Yan Sandan Najeriya ya shiga aikin dan sanda ne a shekarar ra 1988 yayin DIG Jitoboh ya fara aikin dan sanda a 1994.

A kwanan baya ne DIG Jitoboh ya samu mukamin mataimakin Sipeta Janar na Rundunar Yan Sandan Najeriya.

Da yake maida martani kan batun, mai magana da yawun Rundunar Yan Sandan Najeriya, Frank Mba ya ce labarin da ake yadawa cewa an yiwa DIG Jitoboh ritaya da aiki labari ne na karya.

Har wayau da yake yiwa CDD Karin bayani, mai magana da yawun hukumar kula da ayyukan yan sanda, Ikechukwu Ani yace har zuwa ranar 9 ga watan Afirilun da muke cikin DIG Jitoboh yana na baki aiki.

Kammalawa:

CDD na tabbatar da cewa labarin da ake yadawa cewa DIG Moses Jitoboh yafi Usman Alkali wadda yanzu ya zama Sipeta Janar din Yan Sanda karya ne. Har wayau labarin da ke cewa Usman Alkali yana kasan DIG Jitoboh ne aka dakko shi aka nada shi mukamin Sipeta Janar karya ne.

Kuna iya aikowa CDD labaran da kuke da shakku akan su dan tantance muku gaskiyar su ta hanyar aiko gajeren sako SMS ko ta manhajar WhatsApp akan lamba +2349062910568 ko a shafin Twitter ta wannan adireshi: @CDDWestAfrica

#AgujiYadaLabaranBogi

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

April 13, 2021
Love0

FACT-CHECK: DIG Moses Jitoboh Not Retired Nor Senior to IGP Usman Alkali

By Fact Check

VERDICT: False

CLAIM:

On April 7, 2021, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a trending claim on Twitter that President Muhammadu Buhari did not only by-pass Deputy Inspector General of Police, Moses Jitoboh, to appoint, Usman Alkali Baba as Inspector General of Police but also retired the former.

In addition to the claim is the narrative that Jitoboh, 52, is also senior to Alkali, 57, and was bypassed only for the position to be handed to a Muslim from the Northern part of Nigeria.

FACT:

Checks by the CDD reveals the claim that DIG Moses Jitoboh is senior to DIG Usman Alkali and was bypassed for the post of IGP is false.

An investigation by the CDD  shows that Usman Alkali Baba joined the Nigerian Police Force in 1988, while Moses A. Jitoboh joined after six years in 1994.   

Further checks by the Centre show that DIG Jitoboh was recently promoted to the rank of DIG Police on  February 2021.

Reacting to the claim, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, told the CDD fact-checker that the claim that DIG Jitoboh has been retired from the force is false. Mba described the claim as “Fake News”.

Also, the spokesperson to the Police Service Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, told CDD that Jitoboh has not retired from the Force as of April 9, 2021.

CONCLUSION

CDD can confirm that the report that DIG Moses Jitoboh is senior to DIG Usman Alkali is false. Also, the claim that DIG Jitoboh was bypassed for the position of the Inspector General of Police false.

The CDD urges members of the public to read beyond headlines before sharing any news report, especially on social media.

You can forward suspicious messages for verification via +2349062910568 or contact us on Twitter @CDDWestAfrica

#StopFakeNews #StopDisinformation

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

April 10, 2021
Love0

CDD Newsletter For The Week Ending February 7, 2021

By Fact Check

Nigeria is among the countries yet to procure Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Reports indicate that the country is expecting 16 million doses of the vaccine through the global COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) arrangement. COVAX is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others.

Since the announcement of its plan to procure vaccines for the people by the Nigerian Government, broadcast messages are spreading fast on WhatsApp and even conventional media organisations have joined the bandwagon disseminating misinformation on the vaccines, procurement, and administration. This has continued to promote skepticism and persuade the public to reject the shots, which can break the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Misinformation is doing great damage to Nigeria’s effort at halting the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. And both misinformation and disinformation can erode trust in both civil and corporate institutions. Such institutions include government health institutions and big non-government institutions like the World Health Organization.

In the past week, the Punch newspaper published a report that claimed the WHO had disqualified Nigeria from a global vaccine bid. They referred to a press from the WHO.

The reaction to this was instant. the report went viral. Other platforms were quick to publish the misinformation. The Punch Newspaper has since updated its report to the true position of the WHO. But the episode leaves not much to be desired about how Nigerians trust the present government to deliver safe and effective vaccines to the citizens.

The Facts

The WHO representative in Nigeria, Dr. W. Kazadi Mulombo said the ‘’WHO is part of Covax facility and can never disqualify a Member State from accessing an approved vaccine for their population.’’

He made this known via his Twitter handle @WMulombo, He went further to call on members of the press in Nigeria and globally to contribute to fighting misinformation around COVID-19.

In a press conference to address the issue, organized by the WHO in Nigeria and National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Kazadi said that “The World Health Organisation has not disqualified any country in Africa from accessing #COVID19 vaccines through the COVAX facility, but rather, is supporting all countries to access vaccines as quickly as possible.”

 He went further to explain that in addition to the AstraZeneca doses, there is an initial limited volume of Pfizer vaccine available through COVAX.

“On the African continent, as if the 18th January, COVAX received 13 submissions and a multi-agency committee evaluated the proposals of which 9 were recommended as ready to deploy the Pfizer vaccine including Nigeria.” He said.

A review of the press briefing by Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, which the Punch Newspaper and others quoted shows the global health body did not disqualify Nigeria from any global vaccine bid.

‘’In much-awaited news, the COVAX facility has informed African countries of the first allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 90 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could start arriving on the continent later this month. This is subject to WHO listing the vaccine for emergency use. The review is ongoing, and its outcome is expected soon.’’ She said.

The press statement also explained that proposals for the initial 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be allocated to four African countries were evaluated based on current mortality rates, new cases, and trends, and capacities to store the vaccine at minus 70 degrees Celsius. The countries are Cape Verde, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia.

Fact-checkers at the CDD also went through the Gavi website to ascertain if Nigeria has been disqualified.

Gavi is co-leading COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. This involves coordinating the COVAX Facility, a global risk-sharing mechanism for pooled procurement and equitable distribution of eventual COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVAX Interim Distribution Forecast shows Nigeria is in line to receive 16,000,000 doses of vaccines through the facility.

Read the report here

WhatsApp Messages

Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp handle 60 billion messages a day. Not all these messages are true. The majority of messages shared online are either scams, fake or misleading.

For instance, On Sunday 31st January 2021, our fact-checkers spotted a WhatsApp broadcast with the claim that the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) is giving out five (5) Gigabytes worth of data to verified mobile phone numbers.

The message titled: “NIN verification” claimed that the NIMC would be rewarding customers who have been using their SIM cards for more than three months 5G worth of data.

It read in part: “NIN VERIFICATION Check if Your number have [sic] been chosen by NIN to receive 5GB. As Part of the Verification REWARD Program for who [sic] have been using the sim for more than three months. ALL NETWORK USERS Deadline:30-01-2021 2021-2-29

Also attached to the message is a link that can be used by interested applicants for the verification process.

Investigations carried out by CDD fact-checkers revealed that the claim is false. Checks showed that the link provided is a bait normally used by internet fraudsters to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

Our fact-checkers found out that the link upon registration provides a three(3) way verification process where users are required to key in their numbers, share the same message on WhatsApp, and await their share of the said reward.

Further investigations by CDD revealed that the site promised applicants N10,000 in addition to the 5G data. It also provided a section for comments where previous beneficiaries give their “testimonies” – a method frequently used by fraudsters to defraud unsuspecting applicants of such scheme.

Read the report here

Police IG Did Not Handover

On February 2, 2021, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a report on OperaNews blog claiming that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had finally handed the NPF mantle of leadership to his successor.

The report also claimed that IGP Adamu having completed his mandatory 35-years of service with the Nigeria Police Force handed over to Sanusi Lemo, a Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of operations at the Force Headquarters.

Checks by CDD fact-checkers show that as of the time of writing this report, Wednesday, February 3, 2021, IGP Adamu is still the Inspector General of Police in Nigeria.

IGP Adamu has not handed over to DIG Lemo or any other successor as claimed by the news blog.

Also, reacting to the report, the Force Public Relations Officer, Commissioner of Police Frank Mba, said the claim is false.

Mba, in an interview with the Nation Newspaper on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, said reports that the IGP has stepped aside and handed over activities at the Force Headquarters to DIG Lemo should be disregarded.

Also, the approval of a new IGP is usually announced by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, as at the time of writing this report, President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to make such an announcement approving the retirement and further replacement of the IGP. Read the report here

The Damage of a Single Story

False news travels faster online than facts but facts matter as the damage that can be caused by one single story cannot be undone by 10 sources of facts. This has been the struggle of fact-checking organisations like the CDD.

Some other fact-check published by CDD include:

FACT-CHECK: Beware! There’s No NIN 5G Grant

FACT-CHECK: Is There Tension In Lagos Over COVID-19 Vaccine Administration?

FACT-CHECK: Is Newly Introduced WhatsApp Status A Bait?

FACT-CHECK: Is FG Disbursing N10,500 Weekly Grant?

DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER

February 8, 2021
Love0

Shin Sipetan Yan Sandan Najeriya Ya Mika Ragamar Hukumar Yan Sanda Ga Mai Rikon Kwarya?

By Fact Check

Gaskiyar Al’amari: Karya Ne!

Tushen Magana:

A ranar 2 ga watan Fabrairun shekara ta 2021, masu tantance sahihancin labarai na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba (CDD) sun gano wani labari da wani zauren yanar gizo mai suna OperaNews ya wallafa inda yace Sipetan Yan Sandan Najeriya, Mohammed Adamu mika ragamar mulki ga sabon sipetan yan sanda da zai maye gurbin sa.

Labarin yace Sipeta Adamu ya cika shekaru 35 da kama aikin gwamnati dan ya mika ragamar hukumar yan sanda ga mataimakin sa mai kula da harkokin yau da kullum mai suna Sanusi Lemo.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Binciken da CDD ta gudanar ya gano cewa kawo ranar Laraba, 3 ga watan Fabrairun shekara ta 2021 Mohammed Adamu shine Sipetan Yan Sandan Najeriya. Labarin da ke cewa ya mika ragamar shugabanci ga mataimakin sa ba gaskiya bane.

Da yake maida martani ga labarin, mai magana da yawun yan sandan Najeriya Frank Mba a wata hiar da yayi da jaridar Nation ranar 2 ga wata Fabrairu yace rahoton da ke yawo cewa sipetan yan sanda Mohammed Adamu ya mika shugabanci ga DIG Lemo ba gaskiya bane, dan haka jama’a suyi watsi da labarin. Kawo lokacin hada wannan rahoto ranar Laraba, 3 ga watan Fabrairu, Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari bai ayyana wanda zai jagoranci hukumar yan sandan dan maye gurbin Mohammed Adamu ba.

Kammalawa:

Jita-jitar da ake yadawa cewa Sipetan Yan Sandan Najeriya Mohammaed Adamu ya mika jagorancin ma’iakatar yan sanda ga wanda zai rike ma’aikatar na wucin gadi ba gaskiya bane.

Kawon lokacin hada wannan rahoto a ranar Laraba, 3 ga watan Fabrairun shekara ta 2021, Mohammed Adamu ne ke ci gaba da zama Sipetan Yan Sandan Najeriya.

CDD na jan hanakalin jama’a da cewa su guji kirikira ko yada labarai ko sakonni na karya.

Kuna iya aikowa CDD labarai ko sakonnin da kuke da shakku akansu dan tantance muku sahihancin su ta wannan lamba +2349062910568, kuna ma iya aiko sakon WhatsApp.

#AgujiYadaLabaranKarya

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

February 5, 2021
Love0

FACT-CHECK: Has IGP Mohammed Adamu Handed Over To His Successor?

By Fact Check

VERDICT: False

CLAIM: On February 2, 2021, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a report on OperaNews blog claiming that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has finally handed over to his successor.

The report also claimed that IGP Adamu having completed his mandatory 35-years of service with the Nigeria Police Force handed over to Sanusi Lemo, a Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of operations at the Force Headquarters.

FACT:

Checks by CDD fact-checkers show that as of the time of writing this report, Wednesday, February 3, 2021, IGP Adamu is still the Inspector General of Police in Nigeria.

IGP Adamu has not handed over to DIG Lemo or any other successor as claimed by the news blog.

Also, reacting to the report, the Force Public Relations Officer, Commissioner of Police Frank Mba, said the claim is false.

Mba, in an interview with the Nation Newspaper on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, said reports that the IGP has stepped aside and handed over activities at the Force Headquarters to DIG Lemo should be disregarded.

In addition, the approval of a new IGP is usually announced by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, as at the time of writing this report, President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to make such an announcement approving the retirement and further replacement of the IGP.

CONCLUSION

CDD can confirm that report that IGP Adamu has handed over to the new DIG in-charge of operations at the Force Headquarters is false.

IGP Adamu as at Wednesday, February 3, 2021, still serves as Inspector General of Police for Nigeria.

The CDD urges members of the public to read beyond headlines before sharing any news report, especially on social media.

You can forward suspicious messages for verification via +2349062910568 or contact us on Twitter @CDDWestAfrica

#StopFakeNews #StopDisinformation

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

February 3, 2021
Love0

Mataimakin Kwamishinan Yan Sanda Da Matsafa Suka Harba Yana Nan Araye!

By Fact Check

Tushen Magana:

A ranar Asabat, 14 ga watan Nuwanban shekara ta 2020 jaridar The Nation ta wallafa wani labari inda tace mataimakin kwamishan yan sanda a jahar Edo ya rasu sakamakon harbin sad a matsafa sukayi yayin da yake musayar wuta da matsafan.

Labarin yace, mataimakin kwamishinan yan sandan wanda shine ke lura da rundunar yan sandan dake birnin Benin ya rasu ne ranar Juma’a, 13 ga watan Nuwanba, 2020 a asibitin koyarwa na Jami’ar Benin.

Labarin ya kara da cewa an samu bayanin mutuwar mataimakin kwamishinan yan sandan ne ta hanyar wani babban jami’in yan sandawadda yayi magana ta hanyar waya.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Binciken da CDD ta gudanar ya gano cewa mataimakin kwamishinan yan sanda mai suna ACP Agabi Godiri yana nan a raye.

CDD har wayau ta gano cewa an jikkata ACP Godiri yayin day a fafata da matsafa a titin Upper Sakponba dake wajen birnin Benin amma yana cigaba da samun kulawa a asibiti, dan jarida mai kawo labarai daga bangaren tashe-tashen hankali Festus Alenkhe ya tabbatar da hakan.

Alenkhe ya kara da cewa: “mataimakin kwamishinan ya sandan baya sanye da kaki kuma yana tuki ne sai kawai ya tsinci kansa a inda harbe-harben ke faruwa, yadan samu raunuka amma sai yayi maza-maza ya tuka motar sa yabar wajen inda ya bukaci dauki dan kaishi asibiti kuma yanzu haka yana samun kulawa”

Za’a sallami Godiri daga asibiti nan bada dadewa ba, inji Alenkhe.

CDD ta samu hoton dake nuna ACP Godiri anyi masa aiki a kafadar sa yayin da wani abokin sa ke zaune a gefen sa a asibiti a birnin Benin.

Wassu majiyoyi da suka hada da Premium Times sun rawaito kwamishinan yan sanda Johnson Kokumo yana cewa Godiri da sauran yan sanda da suka samu raunuka suna samun sauki a asibiti.

Kammalawa:

Labarin da ake yadawa cewa mataimakin kwamishinan yan sanda ACP Agabi Godiri ya mutu bayan da matsafa suka bude masa wuta a birnin Benin karya ne. Godiri yana nan araye yana cigaba da samun sauki a asibiti.

CDD tana jan hankalin jama’a game da yada labaran da basu da tabbacin sahihancin su. Kuna iya aikowa CDD labaran da kuke shakku akansu dan tantance muku ta hanyar WhatsApp ko gajeren sako ta wannan lamba +2349062910568 ko a shafin Twitter a: @CDDWestAfrica ko @CDDWestAfrica_H

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

November 25, 2020
Love0

FACT-CHECK: Assistant Commissioner of Police Shot by Cultists is Alive

By Fact Check

CLAIM:

On Saturday, November 14, 2020, The Nation Newspaper reported that an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Edo State had died from bullet injury sustained while he  engaged in a shootout with cultists in the state.

The report published on The Nation said the ACP, who is in charge of the Area Command in the state capital died on Friday, November 13, 2020, at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

According to the report, the death of the ACP was confirmed in confidence on Saturday evening by a senior police Officer of Edo command via a telephone conversation.

FACT:

A check by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) shows that the Benin Area Command Metro of the Edo State Police Chief, ACP, Agabi Godiri, is alive.

CDD can reliably confirm that Godiri survived the attack by some hoodlums at the Upper Sakponba Road end of Benin City. Godiri who is recuperating at hospital in Benin was visited by a crime correspondent, Festus Alenkhe.

According to Alenkhe the ACP only sustained a slight injury during the attack as he was quick to have escaped after he was fired by the some gunmen.

Alenkhe said: “It was revealed that the policeman who was not on uniform rammed in to the gunmen who immediately opened fire into his car. But he quickly zoomed off from the area with the injury where he then called for police back-up from where he was taken to the hospital for immediate attention.”

He also said that Godiri would be discharged from the hospital soon as the Police has  warned that the public space will not be left for miscreants to dominate.

Also, the CDD is in possession of a photograph of Godiri, shared by a fact checker in the state, Godiri was seen in an arm cast with a friend at the hospital in Benin.

Several other sources, including Premium Times also reported  the State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, saying said that Godiri and others involved in the attack were responding to treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Benin.

CONCLUSION:

The claim that ACP Godiri died after sustaining bullet injury from a gun battle with cultists in Beinin City  is false.

CDD urges citizens particularly media organizations to fact check reports, from multiple sources, before breaking the news to the public.

Center for Democracy and Development West Africa| CDD West Africa

November 17, 2020
Love0

#EndSARS Protest: Finding a Pathway to Sustainable Peace and Development

By Press Release
#EndSARS protesters
#EndSARS protesters. Photo credit: BBC

Released October 26, 2020

As we continue to condemn the use of ‘live bullets’ on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, on October 20, 2020, we also join our voices to condemn acts of thuggery, hate speeches, and fake news. We particularly condemn the hoodlums that attacked security facilities and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force as two wrongs never make a right. We still maintain that the 5-for-5 demand by the #EndSARS movement should be urgently met in the interest of the Nigerian state. One of the demands is the transparent prosecution of the officers responsible for the brutality against citizens. In order to build trust in government, we immediately request the prosecution of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officers who have been identified in the killings, torture, and rapes of citizens.

On this note, we applaud the request of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to ensure speedy prosecution of 35 operatives of the defunct SARS. These officers were accused of human rights violations and abuse of office in a report by the presidential investigation panel.

We have watched with disdain the impunity, and outrightly denounce the assault on public and private properties by hoodlums. The attack in many states of the federation on warehouses, and the looting of COVID-19 palliatives, which were supplied by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CA-COVID), has thrown up another worrying dimension and exposes the rot and corruption in our governance system.

We unequivocally condemn these attacks and call on the Governors’ Forum to tell Nigerians why they (Governors) intentionally hoarded food items supplied in good faith by the Coalition.  We have read various official statements from some of the state governments and an unofficial statement attributed to the CA-COVID. Some of the statements raise some credibility questions.

As a Civil Society Collective, we have begun tracking initiated court cases, particularly in Lagos and Ogun, this in addition to the panels of inquiry/restitution set up by the states; so far we are reviewing the 27 of the 36 states that already announced these measures. We have also begun to document shreds of evidence with a view to track and underscore the various human rights abuses, following the End SARS protests; this includes the launch of the Missing Persons Portal and tracking of cases specific to violence against women. In addition, we are ready to provide live streaming and tech support to the Panel setup, in order to enhance the credibility of the investigative process.

We are worried that the NHRC which announced its constitution of an independent investigation panel into the activities of the dissolved SARS does not have a constituted Governing Council. We immediately call on President Mohammadu Buhari to grant the Commission the needed capacity to conduct this investigation by inaugurating the Commission’s Governing Council without further delay. In Section 7 (3) of the National Human Rights Commission Act, the Executive Secretary lacks the power to act without a Governing Council, thus invalidating any action taken by the Anthony Ojukwu led Commission. 

Signed:

1. Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)

2. Enough is Enough (EIE)

3. Partners for Electoral Reform

4. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)

5. Centre for Information, Technology and Development (CITAD)

6. Yiaga Africa

7. Global Rights

8. Project Alert

9. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC)

10. Paradigm Initiative (PIN)

11. Rule of Law and Accountability Centre (RULAAC)

12. HEDA Resource Centre

13. African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)

14. Community Life Project (CLP)

15. Protest to Power

16. Social Action

17.  Right to Know

18. Lawyers Alert

19. International Press Centre (IPC)

20. Private and Public Development Centre

21. South Saharan Social Development Organisation

22. Partners West Africa- Nigeria

23. Centre LSD

24. Connected Development (CODE)

25. Stakeholders Development Network (SDN)

26. BUDGiT

27. CWCW Africa

28. Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA)

29. Invictus Africa

30. Alliance for Credible Election (ACE)

31. Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA)

32. Resource Centre for Human Rights (CHRICED)

33. Reboot Design

Media Contact

Centre for Democracy and Development

Email: cddabv@cddwestafrica.org / nibeh@cddwestafrica.org

Twitter: @CDDWestAfrica

October 27, 2020
Love0

Violent reprisal of Peaceful Protests Constitute Dangerous Assault on Citizens’ Constitutional Rights

By Uncategorized

Released 18 October 2020

In the last two weeks, the streets of Nigeria have been convulsing with protests and agitations. The clarion call as reflected in the multitude of young Nigerian voices is for an end to police brutality and all related abuses, which unaccountable policing has left in its wake. For the avoidance of doubt, these protests are legitimate, and young people who ignited the movement have a right to express their grievances using the weapon of protest.

While #EndSARS is focused on the immediate concern of a brutish policing system, the protesters are also inherently voicing their anger against a governance system, which has failed to reckon with them. #EndSARS is, therefore, an affirmation of citizen’s readiness to resist bad governance in all its ramifications beginning with inadequate government response over the prolonged trend of police brutality. The accumulated anger of citizens over decades of failure in the delivery of basic social services, endemic corruption, and impunity of political office holders has precipitated distrust of, and lack of confidence in the state and its institutions. These frustrations are visible in the pent-up anger, which has been boiling over in mass street protests in cities across the country.

Collectively, we affirm the validity of the protests, and the grievances driving the organization and mobilization of popular anger. Police brutality in particular, and the brutality of security, armed forces, and law enforcement agents towards citizens, in general, is a fact and a reality that cannot be contradicted. In this respect, we strongly condemn the thinly veiled threat issued by the Military High Command, wherein the unacceptable move is being made to crush the peaceful protests. Such a threat is ill-conceived in the face of legitimate citizens’ protest and a threat to constitutionally guaranteed rights. We call on the military to immediately withdraw its ill-advised attempt to undermine the constitutional freedom of citizens to voice their displeasure about the state of the country.

We reject in its entirety the move to draft in the military to quell the protests, even where there has been no violent conduct on the part of protesters.  The Military should remain in their barracks and at their duty posts, defending the territorial integrity of the country, and not deployed in a dangerous anti-people and anti-democratic operation to crush a people who are exercising their right to freedom of association, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly. It is important we state here that the commencement of the Exercise Crocodile Smile VI is ill timed and will exacerbate the distrust of citizens.

It is important to let the Nigerian authorities know that the entire world is watching its response to the legitimate demands of the youth. The world is watching the state-sponsored assault on the freedom of expression, and association of Nigerians in the forms of illegal bans on a protest by the governor of Rivers State [CO1] and the authorities in the Federal Capital Territory. These bans are patently unlawful and constitute an ominous prelude to what we suspect would be a harsh clampdown on citizens.

The ongoing protests to end police brutality and compel sorely needed reform of the police and policing, is thus a legitimate movement, raising legitimate concerns, making legitimate demands, and as such because the movement is exercising universally recognized and constitutionally guaranteed rights, the movement must be protected, and not repressed.

We must reiterate here that the practice of dehumanizing citizens and stripping them of their dignity, which has become endemic in the security and defence sectors, is a manifestation of the institutional decay and systemic crisis of governance. This is a measure of the failure of political leadership by Nigeria’s ruling class. This is why what is expected of any responsible government, political leadership, and ruling class, is to step back and reflect and to undertake a radical overhaul and comprehensive root and branch reforms of the security and law enforcement agencies, as well as of the armed forces.

So far, we can confirm at least 13 persons have been extra judicially killed  in the course of the peaceful protest (Oyo – 4; Edo – 2; Ondo – 1; Osun – 2; and Lagos – 4). In addition is the attack on peaceful assembly in 8 states (Oyo, Lagos, Edo, Plateau, Anambra, FCT, Kano and Osun).  

We join the youths of Nigeria to demand:

  • Accountability for previous, current, and ongoing acts of the brutalization of citizens from the government and its agencies. Offending officers must be identified, investigated, prosecuted, and punished.

  •   That a mechanism is put in place to identify all previous and current victims of police brutality, to ensure that they get justice, including compensations.

  •    That all those arrested during the ongoing protest be released unconditionally.

  •      That the President constitutes and summons an emergency and inaugural meeting of the Nigeria Police Council [NPC] provided for in the 1999 CFRN [as amended], in section 216, and whose composition and functions were clearly stated in Part III [Supplemental and interpretation], sections 27 & 28 of the same constitution.

  • That the government moves beyond cosmetic approaches in responding to the yearnings of protesting citizens. Building confidence would involve moving speedily to implement key first steps, including the expeditious public trial of police officers who have been accused with evidence and are found to have perpetrated crimes, including extra-judicial killings, against the Nigerian people.

  •    That an independent and multi-stakeholder committee, including the acknowledged representatives of the protesting youths among others, be constituted to oversee the implementation, and undertake monitoring and assessment of the implementation of the Police Act 2020 as the basis for undertaking the institutional and systemic reforms that are urgently needed.

Finally, as we reject the repression of ongoing protests, we commend millions of Nigerian youths who have defied the odds to make their voices heard. This is just the beginning as we stand with the youths of Nigeria who have taken leadership to demand accountability and a better Nigeria. The struggle has just begun, and the people of this country must brace up to take their destinies into their hands.

Signed:

1. Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa)

2. Enough is Enough (EIE)

3. Partners for Electoral Reform

4. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)

5.Centre for Information, Technology and Development (CITAD)

6. Yiaga Africa

7. Global Rights

8. Project Alert

9. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC)

10. Paradigm Initiative

11. Rule of Law and Accountability Centre (RULAAC)

12. HEDA Resource Centre

13. African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)

14. Community Life Project (CLP)

15. protest to Power

16. Social Action

17. Take Back Nigeria Movement (TBN)

18. Right to Know

19. Lawyers Alert

20. Private and Public Development Centre

21. South Saharan Social Development Organisation

22. Partners West Africa- Nigeria

23. Centre LSD

24. Connected Development (CODE)

25. Stakeholders Development Network (SDN)

26. BUDGiT

27. CWCW Africa

28. Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centrer in Africa (PAACA)

29. Invictus Africa

30. Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA)

October 18, 2020
Love0

New Allegiances, Familiar Faces A Preview of Edo’s 2020 Gubernatorial Election

By Blog, Publicaitons, UncategorizedNo Comments

As Edo State voters prepare to head to the polls for the 19 September gubernatorial election, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) is closely monitoring the democratic process.

CDD’s observation of the electoral process in Edo State, which is also informed by the guidelines of Nigeria’s electoral regulatory body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will provide citizens, the media and other stakeholders with an objective, non-partisan assessment of the voting environment.

The analysis will span the pre-election period, election day and the post-election period. The 2020 Edo State gubernatorial election is the first major election that INEC will conduct since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

In addition to the disruption of lives and livelihoods, the pandemic holds significant implications for the electoral process.

Edo State has recorded 2,311 COVID-19 cases, with NCDC data indicating that there are currently 335 COVID-19 patients in the state, with 84 deaths confirmed so far.

DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT HERE

DOWNLOAD CCD’s SPEED NOTE ON EDO ELECTION HERE

August 19, 2020
Love0

Did Lagos Police Arrest Naira Marley?

By Fact Check, UncategorizedNo Comments

VERDICT: True

CLAIM: On Thursday, August 6, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a report on a newsblog claiming that officials of the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos arrested singer, Azeez Fashola, popular know as Naira Marley.

The report which has gone viral on the blog was with the headline: “BREAKING: Police Reportedly Arrests Naira Marley in Lagos”.

FACT: 

Investigations by CDD fact-checkers reveal that Naira Marley was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command and arraigned at the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court, Oshodi alongside his manager, Seyi Awouga.

A statement released by the Lagos Police Command said they were arrested and arraigned on a one-count charge for violating the restriction of movement and interstates travel order during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Also, checks by CDD fact-checkers show that Naira Marley and manager have pleaded guilty to the offence. The magistrate awarded them a fine of N100,000 each.

Marley and his manager had on June 13, 2020, embarked on a non-essential trip from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos the same date.

They travelled through the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja for a musical concert in Abuja which led to the temporary shutdown of the venue Jabi Lake Mall.

However, Naira Marley was flown to Abuja on Friday, August 7, 2020, by the Nigerian Police Force where a four-count charge was filed against him.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined N200,000 by Magistrate Idayat Akanni.

CONCLUSION

The report that Naira Marley was arrested by the officers of the Lagos Police Command is true.

The singer arrested alongside his manager pleaded guilty to a one-count charge bordering of violation of the COVID-19 restriction of movement order by the President.

CDD is urging members of the public to read beyond headlines before sharing any news report, especially from blogs are in the habit of using sensational headlines to draw traffic to their blogs.

You can also forward suspicious messages for verification at +2349062910568 or contact us on twitter @CDDWestAfrica @CDDWestAfrica_H

#StopFakeNews #StopDisinformation

August 7, 2020
Love0
Close Menu