The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticized the Nigeria Police Force and the Kogi State Government, accusing them of abusing power to frustrate Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement, HURIWA alleged a conspiracy between the Kogi State Police Command and the state government under Governor Usman Ododo to prevent the senator from visiting her family home and engaging with her constituents. The group condemned the police for acting as an “attack dog” for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and called for an end to partisan policing.
The controversy escalated after the Kogi State Government imposed a sudden ban on rallies and public gatherings, citing security concerns. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, justified the decision as a measure to prevent violence, referencing incidents in Kogi Local Government Area that reportedly resulted in fatalities.
Similarly, the Kogi State Police Command ordered the cancellation of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s planned homecoming rally, citing an intelligence report warning of possible hijacking by hoodlums. Police spokesman William Aya stated that the command was acting to safeguard public peace.
HURIWA, however, dismissed the justification as a politically motivated crackdown, demanding an investigation into the Commissioner of Police. The group insisted that the police should provide concrete evidence of any security threats that warranted the ban.
“The Kogi State Police Command has become the ‘official lapdog’ of the APC,” HURIWA declared, calling the actions “primitive and unconstitutional.”
