The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately halt all forms of harassment, intimidation, illegal summons, arrests, and detention of the leadership and members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Ejigbo Unit, pending the determination of their case before the National Industrial Court.

The group also called on the IGP to direct all police units, particularly the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja and its Alagbon Annex, as well as the Lagos State Command, to desist from further interference in the internal affairs of the PTD.

HURMA’s Executive Director, Buna Olaitan Isiak, made the appeal during a press conference in Lagos.He emphasised the need for the IGP to investigate and discipline any police officers or NUPENG officials found to have abused their offices, received inducements, or unlawfully interfered in the matter.

He further called for the protection of the lives, dignity, and liberty of all PTD Ejigbo Unit members who have been peacefully advocating for democracy and accountability within their union.

“The members of PTD Ejigbo Unit have been peacefully advocating for credible, transparent, and democratic elections within their union; efforts grounded in the PTD By-Laws, the Labour Laws of Nigeria, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended),” he said.

“Unfortunately, some former South-West zonal leaders of PTD, in active collaboration with certain NUPENG officials, have persistently undermined these democratic aspirations by imposing an illegal caretaker leadership, thereby obstructing free and fair elections.

“In seeking justice and the protection of their rights, Ganiyu Oyebola and his colleagues have approached the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, which is currently handling the matter.

“Regrettably, even with the case still pending before this competent court, some police officers attached to the FCID Annex, Alagbon, and the Lagos State Police Command have repeatedly harassed, intimidated, and unlawfully detained these individuals on fabricated allegations allegedly engineered by interested NUPENG actors.”

Isiak described the actions as “clear violations” of the members’ constitutional rights to dignity, liberty, and equality before the law, as guaranteed by Sections 34(1), 35(1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 19, and 27(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, LFN 2004.

“The continued use of the police in what is purely a civil and internal trade union matter that is already before a court of competent jurisdiction not only violates due process but also undermines the principle of separation of powers. This is inconsistent with the IGP’s well-known policy of rights-respecting and professional policing,” he added.