[You need the The Macromedia Flash player to listen via the site. Or right click and “save” the file from here.]
[You need the The Macromedia Flash player to listen via the site. Or right click and “save” the file from here.]
These are from a set of images of the destruction following an attack on Elelenwo police station, Port Harcourt, Rivers State - reportedly by Ateke Tom’s Vikings gang - over night on 13th April. One police officer is reported killed. (Click for the set on flickr.)
In all, seven police officers were reported killed overnight on 13th April 2007, in this and another attack on Mini-Okoro police station.
This Friday, Joseph talked to Justice from the ‘Agip Estate’ in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
[You need the The Macromedia Flash player to listen via the site. Or right click and “save” the file from here.]
Human Rights Watch is reporting on attacks on Anyakwee Nsirimovu.
As well as being one of Nigeria’s leading human rights campaigners, Anyakwee is a colleague and part of the same group of activist-friends I’m part of, so this is close to home and very alarming:
The assault and threats against Anyakwee Nsirimovu, a human rights activist who is director of the Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) in Port Harcourt, were most likely a reprisal for his outspoken criticism of corrupt state and local government officials in Rivers State, Human Rights Watch said.
On March 4, Nsirimovu was attacked in Port Harcourt while driving home from a meeting. Around 8 p.m., a gang of at least six young men armed with knives, clubs and other weapons attempted to stop his car. When Nsirimovu refused to stop, they attacked his car, smashing the rear windshield and causing other damage to the vehicle. Because the youths allowed numerous other vehicles to pass by without interference, it appeared that Nsirimovu was the objective of their assault. Nsirimovu escaped unharmed.
“The assault and death threats against one of Nigeria’s leading human rights campaigners should be investigated immediately,” said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “These attacks threaten free speech on key issues like governance and corruption during the critical pre-election period.”
[…]
Human Rights Watch believes these threats were in response to Nsirimovu’s outspoken criticism of corruption in the Rivers State government and in the state’s Local Government Councils in recent weeks. On February 12, for example, his organization issued a scathing public criticism of Rivers State legislators who had suddenly abandoned demands that Rivers State Governor Peter Odili account for the use of funds in the state’s US$1.3 billion 2006 budget before submitting the 2007 budget for a vote.
On January 31, Human Rights Watch released a report on the human rights impact of local government corruption in Rivers State entitled “Chop Fine.” Nsirimovu, through IHRHL, has been active in promoting public awareness of the problems documented in the report. All of these actions drew considerable ire from state and local officials. They have responded to Human Rights Watch’s report by claiming that it was false propaganda and that it was allegedly paid for by people the state’s Commissioner for Local Government Affairs described as “faceless enemies of the Rivers State government.”
Nsirimovu said that the assault and threats against him could lead other civil society groups to become wary of speaking out on the myriad human rights and governance issues facing Rivers State.
