The House of Representatives has resolved to summon the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oloyede; and the Commanding Officer of the 177 Battalion over allegations of the unlawful arrest and detention of a community leader in Nasarawa State.
During Tuesday’s plenary, Honourable Mansur Soro, who raised the motion, detailed that on December 9, 2024, community leader Bello Badejo was arrested in Maliya town, Nasarawa State, by officers of the 177 Battalion of the Nigerian Army without prior notice, a court order, or invitation.
Honourable Soro criticized the detention, noting that one week after Badejo’s arrest, he had yet to be arraigned, describing this as a breach of fundamental human rights enshrined in Sections 34, 35, and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
It called on the “Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff to order the immediate release of Alhaji Bello Badejo from unlawful detention and to also apologize to him for infringing on his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights.
“Invite the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and the Commanding Officer of 177 Battalion to cause an appearance before the House Committees on Army, Human Rights and Justice on Thursday 20th December 2024 at 3:00 pm to explain why officers under their command violated the relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution”.
The service chiefs are to appear before the House Committees on Army, Human Rights and Justice on Thursday 20th December 2024.