Amnesty International asks Adamawa, Zamfara to lift expulsion of NGOs
By Ibrahim Umar
Kanempress
4th March, 2023
Amnesty International has called for the immediate uplifting of the expulsion of non-governmental organisations(NGOs) in Zamfara and Adamawa States as ordered by the State governors.
The Director of Amnesty International, Osai Ojigbo, in a statement said the decision would hurt vulnerable communities in the two states.
In February, the Zamfara State government ordered that all NGOs should leave the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Safe, accused NGOs of engaging in activities fueling insecurity in the state.
The Adamawa state government also banned the activities of NGOs in the state. It accused the organisations of trying to influence voters during the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections.
But Mrs Ojigbo said the crackdown on organisations providing support and or defending human rights in states must be brought to end.
“Amnesty International calls for the immediate reversal of the arbitrary expulsion of non-governmental organizations by the governors of Adamawa and Zamfara states in northern Nigeria. Targeting organizations solely for carrying out their normal activities, when they are saving lives, will mostly hurt the vulnerable communities they are serving.
“This crackdown on independent organizations and human rights defenders must stop. The governors of Adamawa and Zamfara states must allow independent organizations and human rights defenders to freely carry out their work.”
Mrs Ojigbo added that the state government must focus on rebuilding and resettling communities displaced by terrorists.
“The suspension of NGOs in the two states, both ravaged by insecurity and conflict, is repressive and a direct attack on the civic space. Authorities of the two states must desist from the such arbitrary exercise of powers and focus more on rebuilding and resettling communities displaced by years of attacks by bandits and insurgents,” she said.
