Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has accused Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola of using the Nigeria Civil and Security Defence Corps for his and his party’s interests in regards to the 2023 general election.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, HURIWA national coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko also said that All Progressives Congress’ Aregbesola had not done enough to protect Nigeria’s correctional centres.
“The Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, appears more concerned with allegedly misusing the personnel of the security agencies under his ministry for political gains in Osun State rather than fully deploy them appropriately where they are needed to secure the Correctional Centres that are the cornerstone of Nigeria’s judicial system,” said Onwubiko.
Onwubiko revealed his organisation had also petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over the matter.
“It is worrisome that in the face of the implications of the successful and attempted jailbreaks reported across the country in the last 18 months, which have been adjudged to be the highest so far in the cycle of any administration since the return to civil rule in 1999.
“HURIWA has reportedly observed on a weekly basis, particularly on Thursdays, that armed men from the Correctional Services and those of the Nigeria Civil and Security Defence Corps (NSCDC) are stationed at the venues where The Osun Progressives (TOP).”
HURIWA claimed that a group of Aregbesola’s loyalists attacked the state secretariat of the All Progressive Congress, injuring several people while under the protection of NCDC.
