The National Association of Yoruba Descendants in North America (Egbe Omo Yoruba North America) has warned security agencies in Nigeria to desist from humiliating Yoruba people.
With specific reference to the raid of the residence of Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), the group said the exercise “was shocking, disgraceful, humiliating, and uncivilized.”
In a statement signed by Durojaye Odimayo Akindutire, and Aderemi Samuel, National President and National General Secretary respectively, the association said it believed in justice and fairness for every citizen of Nigeria and for any incident whatsoever.
“We have always advocated peace, unity, and representing the diverse bridge of opinion towards mutual dialogue for peaceful resolution of any conflict within Yoruba community and Nigeria in particular.
“If the Department of State Services (DSS), the law enforcement agency representing Nigeria security apparatus, has any reason to believe that Mr Sunday Igboho has become a security risk to the government, either by unsubstantiated rumours, or valid intelligence gathering, it becomes a duty for the Nigerian government to exercise burden of proof, to pursue the charges of such offence with due process of law, and in tandem following legal procedures to prosecute him,” the association said.
It added that the press statement issued by the DSS did not address “the basic fundamental of criminal justice by stating the nature of crime, when an investigation was conducted, not showing valid warrant specifying alleged criminal activity. There was no indication of any charges showing the crime he committed.”
The group stated further, “Legal and due process was not followed based on the statement from the DSS. His house was raided by military-styled operatives, the entire house was destroyed, members of his family were injured, and some were killed according to the DSS press release. This military-style operation in the middle of the night against citizens of Nigeria is barbaric and falls short of the norms guiding civilized twenty-first-century law enforcement.
“It also negates the core principle of fairness and justice. To add salt to the injury, the DSS spokesperson declared Sunday Igboho a wanted person and asking that he surrenders himself. For what offence or crime? The humiliating tactics in Nigerian law enforcement must stop. Egbe Omo Yoruba North America is calling Nigerian government, through its law enforcement personnel, to stop harassing Yoruba sons and daughters. The best approach to dealing with anyone who may have committed any crime is by following legal and due process.”
The association stated that it stood by Igboho, adding that until the government could prove that he had committed a crime, he remained innocent and should be treated with respect.
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