Lockdown: Senate President condemns alleged extra-judicial killings

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By Haruna Salami

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has condemned cases of extra-judicial killings by security agents in the course of the enforcement of lockdown, ordered in parts of the country as reported by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

This is contained in a statement by Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser (Media) to President of the Senate on Friday.

Lawan said he was saddened by the report by the NHRC that 18 persons were killed by high-handed security officers tasked to enforce the stay-at-home directives.

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“Extra-judicial killings, in whatever guise, should be discouraged in our society” adding that there should be “a thorough investigation of the cases and that those indicted be promptly brought to account.

“Life is sacred. It is a tragedy that those asked to enforce compliance with emergency measures adopted for public safety are now being accused of responsibility for needless and totally avoidable deaths of citizens,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said “any officer found culpable of unprofessional use of weapons should, as a standard practice, be made to face prosecution”.

In the same vein, Lawan, has commiserated with the victims of the fire incident that occurred on Thursday at a camp housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ngala, Borno State.

Lawan mourned the 14 who lost their lives, sympathised with those injured in the inferno and commiserated with the Government and people of Borno State over the tragic incident.

He called on relevant authorities to investigate the incident with a view to averting a re-occurrence.

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