The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to immediately commence an independent investigation into the alleged assault on a human rights activist and lawyer, Maxwell Opara, at the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja on May 7, 2024.
A statement by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN), urged Citizens with useful information to assist the Police with such intelligence to enable them to fish out those behind the heinous acts and ensure that they are prosecuted and punished by the law to serve as a deterrent.
As a Commission which is mandated by the law to promote, protect and enforce the rights of all Nigerians and other nationals living in the country, Ojukwu said the Commission would allow the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, to thoroughly investigate the matter in line with the doctrine of fair hearing and social justice.
The Commission urged everyone, including the aggrieved lawyer to refrain from any action that is at variance with what the legal profession stands for while awaiting the outcome of the investigation, to avoid further escalation of the issue.
According to the statement personally signed by the NHRC boss, the Commission condemned in strong terms the alleged assault and attack on the lawyer which happened while he was granting a press interview at the Court premises where he had gone to defend his clients who were charged with cyberbullying and criminal defamation.
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Nigeria: NHRC seeks probe into alleged assault on human rights lawyer, Maxwell Opara
