By Titus Eleweke
…Says President Tinubu’s condemnation must translate into arrests, prosecution
An Anambra-born human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has challenged security agencies to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of political violence, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s condemnation of political thuggery must not end in empty promises.
Ejiofor, who expressed concern over alleged attacks and intimidation of political opponents by supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in different parts of the country, said Nigerians were waiting for concrete action from law enforcement agencies.
In his weekend reflection titled, “Now That the Presidency and Leaders of the Ruling APC Party Have Condemned Political Violence, Will the Security Agencies Now Act or Will This, Too, End as Another Exercise in Official Rhetorics?”, the legal practitioner described the Presidency’s position as timely but said that its impact would depend on the willingness of security agencies to act.
He warned that political thuggery had created an atmosphere of fear, with some perpetrators allegedly operating with confidence that their political connections would shield them from prosecution.
According to him, the condemnation should serve as a clear warning that political violence is unacceptable, irrespective of the political affiliation of those involved.
Ejiofor insisted that security agencies must move beyond announcements of investigations and demonstrate their commitment through arrests and prosecution.
“The more consequential implication of this presidential intervention is that the responsibility for identifying, apprehending and prosecuting these marauders now rests squarely and unmistakably with the law enforcement agencies. Nigerians will, quite rightly, hold them accountable for what happens hereafter,” he stated.
He cautioned against selective enforcement of the law, stressing that nobody should enjoy immunity because of political influence or affiliation.
Using a proverbial illustration, he said: “The proverbial hunter cannot claim to be pursuing an animal while deliberately avoiding its footprints.”
Ejiofor further maintained that no political ambition or electoral victory could justify the loss of innocent lives, urging politicians and their supporters to embrace civility and peaceful political engagement.
He emphasised that political opponents should not be treated as enemies and that democracy must allow citizens to choose their leaders freely without intimidation or coercion.
He called on political parties and security agencies to protect the democratic process, insisting that the people’s freely expressed votes must determine electoral outcomes.
“At the end of the day, it is the will of the people, freely expressed, that must prevail,” he declared.
Tags: Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Political Violence, Tinubu
