HURIWA condemns assault on Ayefele, Owolabi, seeks probe
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, condemned the alleged physical assault on popular Nigerian gospel singer, Yinka Ayefele, by an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
It urged investigation into the incident and others.
The association, in a statement by its National Co-ordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged arrest and prosecution of those NSCDC officers that allegedly attacked citizens in Jos, Plateau State North Central and Ekiti State South West of Nigeria.
HURIWA also called for the introduction of compulsory drug tests by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on all armed bearing operatives of the nation’s security forces, owing to the prevalent abuses of hard drugs by most of the security operatives.
HURIWA also recalled that when contacted, Ayefele confirmed the physical assault on him by the NSCDC officer, saying: “I was moving out in my car after entertaining guests and the officer suddenly dipped his hand into my car to take my money but I resisted him and told him what he did was very wrong.
“That was how he gave me a punch on my mouth. I had cut on my lips and blood started gushing out. When I called my security details to hold him, he stood in the front of my car corking his rifle and threatening to shoot me.
“At that point, his colleagues came and I explained what he did to them. While trying to shield him, they said why am I fighting them; that I am a public figure and I don’t want to give them something. I said if I didn’t want to give him something, I wouldn’t have stopped because I have settled the area boys and others. I wept profusely, because they did this to me being a physically challenged person.”
