Reps Probe Arrest Of 320 Boko Haram Suspects In Rivers

L-R: The Head, Information Unit, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Enugu State, Mr Gerald Ndubuisi, Head, Small Scale Enterprise, Mrs Nneka Onyeji, State Coordinator, Mr Eke Iroegbu and the Head, Finance and Accounts, Mr Sylvester Okpe, at the NDE Micro Credit Review meeting in Enugu, last Monday.

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated the Committees on Police Affairs and Human Rights, to investigate the arrest of 320 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in Rivers State.
This resolution emanated from a motion moved by Rep. Suleiman Kawu (APC-Kano), the Deputy Minority Leader, which was adopted without debate.
According to Kawu, on January 27, the police arrested 320 women, men and children in a convoy of 17 buses at the boundary between Rivers and Imo.
He said that the arrest had raised several issues that required immediate attention of every well-meaning Nigerian.
The legislator maintained that the arrested persons were petty traders and menial job seekers in the state for legitimate business.
Kawu stressed that such arrest and injustice portrayed obvious danger capable of further overheating the polity.
He said that section 41 of the 1999 Constitution as amended guarantees every Nigerian the right to move freely within the country.
Kawu said that the police in Rivers had abandoned its responsibility of protecting the people to harassing innocent people.
In another development, Rep. Joseph Kigbu (APC-Nasarawa) has defected to the PDP.
His defection was contained in a letter read by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal on the floor of the House.