NHRC Commission To Investigate Immigration Exam Tragedy

The Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that it will conduct investigation into the deaths.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Professor Ben Angwe, while receiving a petition from a group, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER).
The CASER wrote to the United Nations High Commission for Human Right, calling on it to hold the Federal Government and public servants accountable for gross disregard and systematic violation of fundamental human rights of Nigerian citizens.
Receiving the group, Professor Angwe said that Commission would look thoroughly into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.
"We have set a motion, a machinery to identify the victims of this sad event and carry out a thorough investigation on the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

"The Commission is aware of its responsibility and will do everything possible to ensure that we achieve the mandate given to us by the Federal Government of Nigeria and by the Nigerian people as expressed in the laws establishing the commission," he said.

The Executive Secretary regretted that adequate arrangements were not put in place to safeguard the occurrence or provide protection for the applicants.

He however said that the commission would follow up on the complaints of the group and follow up on its monitoring mandate to unravel the circumstances and advise the government for the future on the strategies and steps required to be taken in circumstances like this.

"I want to assure you that the Commission will work with you to identify the victims and request that the Federal Government to afford compensation to the families of the victims in accordance with international practices," he added.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of CASER said that recent occurrence was as a result of silent inactions on the part of the members of the Nigerian public servants.

He therefore called for the immediate suspension and prosecution of the Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).