End The Arrest And Prosecution Of LGBTQ Persons- US Tells FG

The United States of America has encouraged the Federal Government to put into effect the findings of many #EndSARS panels that were established to look into violations of human rights committed by security services during the 2020 #EndSARS rallies, as well as to put an end to the nation’s practice of arbitrarily detaining LGBTQ people.

At the 4th cycle Universal Period Review of Nigeria by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the United States made the appeal. A US government representative addressed certain human rights issues in Nigeria and requested that the Federal Government take action to put the #EndSARS report into practice, amend the Nigerian Press Council Act to remove restrictions on free speech, and examine military operations procedures to ensure human rights are protected.

“Our main concern is on certain restrictions on Nigerians on the enjoyment of human rights. In the spirit of constructive engagement, we recommend that Nigeria implement recommendations from the state-level investigations panel report on security forces response to the #EndSARS protests including prosecution as appropriate of the individual implicated in the reports.

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“Amend the Nigerian Press Act of 1992 to remove the restriction on the freedom of expression specifically as it applies to online and citizen journalists. End the arbitrary arrest and prosecution of LGBT persons and amend the armed forces standard operating procedure to ensure the protection of human rights and fundamental freedom of all Nigerians.”

In response, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation, expressed gratitude for the UN Human Rights Council’s interest in Nigerian matters and the suggestions that had been made.

He restated that there are no concerns about the legitimacy of Nigerian elections, pointing out that the process of holding an election begins with nomination and that the election cannot be concluded until the Supreme Court gives a ruling.

He said: “The issue of credibility of any election in Nigeria does not arise. Election is a process and until the Supreme Court makes any pronouncement, it cannot be regarded as having come to an end. A pronouncement has been made in respect of the Presidential election and just last week, the last pronouncement was made in respect of governorship elections. The issue of credibility does not arise at all. It has been confirmed to be in conformity with the laws guiding the conduct of elections in Nigeria.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli