Amnesty International has condemned Friday’s recommendation to the Body of Benchers by Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that law teacher and ex-Chair of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chidi Odinkalu, should be sent to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for degrading the legal profession.
In a statement titled: Amnesty International condemns the harassment and intimidation of human rights lawyer Chidi Odinkalu by Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, which was published on its Facebook page, the rights organisation said:
“According to reports, the minister recently called on the country’s Body of Benchers to ‘invite and discipline’ Mr Odinkalu solely for doing his human rights work and the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression. One of the functions of the Body of Benchers is the discipline of erring lawyers in Nigeria, which is carried out through its Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
“Amnesty International is concerned about the abuse of the Body of Benchers as a tool to stifle peaceful dissent in the country. No lawyer should ever be sanctioned or punished simply for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and carrying out their professional duties.
“Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to immediately cease the harassment and intimidation of Mr Odinkalu and publicly guarantee that all lawyers in Nigeria can freely exercise their human rights and carry out their legitimate professional activities without fear of reprisals.
“The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
“Chidi Odinkalu’s harassment undermines the independence of the legal profession and exemplifies the increasing repression of civic space and attacks against human rights defenders and activists in the country.
“Human rights defenders and activists continue to face intimidation and harassment and politically motivated prosecution. The blatant disregard by the authorities of their constitutional and international human rights obligations must stop.
“Nigerian authorities should immediately stop the intimidation and harassment against Chidi Odinkalu and allow him to freely exercise his human rights and carry out his professional duties without interference or fear of reprisal.
“Authorities should stop misusing the justice system to shut down peaceful dissent. Authorities must uphold and ensure the human rights of everyone and the independence of the legal profession in the country.”
