NHRC Threatens To Prosecute Varsity 0fficials Over Students’ Torturing.

 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said it will prosecute the vice chancellor of Madonna University and two other senior officials of the institution over alleged torturing of students accused of involvement in cultism.

NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, said on Wednesday that his commission will be compelled to prosecute the institution’s officials should they fail to honour a fresh invitation to appear before the commission.

The commission on August 10 invited the Madonna University officials and the Nigerian Army authorities over two separate incidents of torture.
While the Army was invited over the inhuman treatment meted out to a civilian in Nyanaya, Abuja, recently by a soldier, and requested that the culprit be identified, the university officials were invited over the torture of two students, Stanley Okoye, a 23-year old final year Civil Engineering student and Ga-Lim Aondofa Lord.

Prof Angwe, who spoke in Abuja after receiving a team from the Nigerian Army, said the vice chancellor of Madonna University has refused to appear on the excuse that the matter is in court and that the commission should allow the court to handle it.

“The victims and their parents were here on Tuesday, but the vice chancellor and the two other officials did not come. We also received a letter from the vice chancellor, who said the matter is in court and that for that reason, he is of the opinion that the Human Rights Commission should allow the court to determine the case.

“We are not satisfied with that. It is not for the vice chancellor to sit there in his office and write us a letter that the matter is in court. They (the VC and two other senior officials of the university) need to appear.

“We have given them a new date to appear here on the 25th of this month. And if by that date the vice chancellor and two other officials of the university are not here, we will commence their prosecution immediately.”