Tope Akinyode, a human rights lawyer, says the military has
no right to enforce the movement restrictions imposed by the federal
government.
In a memo, Lamidi Adeosun, chief of policy and plans of the
Nigerian Army, had said Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, had approved the
activation of “Op-Second-Eleven”, a special operation to see to the enforcement
of the restriction amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Akinyode, who is the
national president of the Revolutionary Lawyers’ Forum, said the move has no
legal backing.
According to him, not even President Muhammadu Buhari has
the right to “unleash them on peaceful citizens except in exceptional
circumstances which does not fall in this instance”
He claimed that Nigerians have been brutalised by soldiers
“in the name of enforcing government orders”.
“Our attention is drawn to a circular by the Chief of Army
Staff, Tukur Buratai commanding Soldiers to embark on an action which he tagged
‘Op-Second Eleven’ and which is organized for the ‘enforcement of government
movement restriction order’ over coronavirus,” the statement read.
“Our sincere wish had been that the military would follow
the path of reasoning to jettison such a misguided ambition, which clearly has
no legal standing within the Nigerian jurisprudence. However, we are disturbed
by the updates we are receiving about the brutality, physical assault and
attack unleashed on citizens by soldiers in the name of enforcing government
orders.
“We assert that even the President of Nigeria has no power
whatsoever to call out the armed forces and unleash them on peaceful citizens
except in exceptional circumstances which does not fall in this instance.
“It remains trite law that armed forces or the military have
no right to dabble into civil activities except perhaps, to exercise their
right of franchise during elections and vote in their barracks.
“Against the foregoing, we hereby call on any Nigerian who
has been or is being unlawfully harassed by the military in the process of
enforcing government directive to immediately reach out to us via our email:
revolutionarylawyersforum@gmail.com and we will bring the full weight of the
law against such erring military officer.”
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My friend, shut up and go on isolation, respect the law.
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