GUARANTEE FR. MBAKA’S LIFE OR FACE THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY – GROUP WARNS PRESIDENT JONATHAN AND NIGERIAN POLICE

A group known as Cross Borders Human Right Defense Group, an association of human right activists and lawyers in Nigeria and Diaspora has issued a warning to President Jonathan and his government to guarantee security of life of the Nigerian Cleric, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka or be ready to face the International Human Rights Community. This warning came after the news publication of Daily Sun of 5th January 2014 with the rider “My Life is in danger… (Fr Mbaka) alleges threat messages”

The group’s spokesman, Mr Adedeji Wale says “the international community and human rights groups are keeping watch on the Nigeria and will hold President Jonathan accountable should anything happen to Fr Mbaka.”

Mr. Adedeji in a telephone interview with the AMEN SuperNews Editor, Barr Ike Maximus Ugwuoke said, “We are worried over the statement of the Enugu State Commissioner of Police refuting the claims by Enugu-based Catholic priest who is also the founder of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev. Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka that he has been receiving threat messages.

Quoting the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu,DSP  as reported in   Vanguard Newspaper of 7th January 2015, where he said, “We do not have any report by Fr. Mbaka over threat to his life. We have not received any complaint from him.” The Human Right group described such statement from the police boss as reckless alleging that even without any formal report,  the police has a traditional duty to security of lives and property more so when there is a public outcry of the victim alleging threat to his life.

According to the spokesman, “By now we expected that given the challenging security situation in Nigeria and the posture of Rev. Fr. Mbaka’s  new year message exposing the quantum of  loss of lives and bloodshed in North East Nigeria under the watch of President Jonathan’s government which the message was a big blow to both Jonathan and his supporters given his reelection bid, visible proactive and concerted effort ought to have been made by both the Police and the government to protect the Cleric from threats which is reasonably foreseeable in the circumstance. It is immaterial whether he has not made any formal report as this doesn’t make his outcry baseless. The Fr Mbaka case is a litmus test to how much regard the Nigeria government has for the right to freedom of expression.”

He reiterated the warning that both the national and international human Rights communities are keeping an eye on the Nigerian government.