Lawmaker insists police arrested petty traders as insurgents, calls for probe

A member of the House of Representatives, Suleiman Kawau (APC-Kano), has called for an investigation into claims by the police that it arrested 320 suspected Boko Haram members in Rivers, insisting that the suspects were petty traders and menial job seekers.

In a motion on Tuesday, Kawau, who is he deputy minority leader, explained that on January 27 the Police arrested 320 women, men and children in a convoy of 17 buses at the boundary between Rivers and Imo.

He said that the arrest had raised several issues that required immediate attention of every well-meaning Nigerian.

The legislator maintained that the arrested persons were petty traders and menial job seekers in the state for legitimate business.

Kawu stressed that such arrest and injustice portrayed obvious danger capable of further overheating the polity.

He said that section 41 of the 1999 Constitution amended  guarantees every Nigerian the right to move freely within the country.

Kawu said that the Police in Rivers had abandoned its responsibility of protecting the people to harassing innocent people.

He therefore called on the House to mandate the Committees on Police Affairs and Human Rights to investigate the arrest.

The motion was adopted without debate.

Source:Information Nigeria