Insurgency: Reps want detained Soldier, wife released

The House of Representatives Thursday mandated its Committee on Army to interface with the leadership of the Nigerian Army to urgently release a detained soldier, Martins and his wife Victoria ldakpein.
ldakpein, a Lance Corporal had on June 23, 2020 in a video that went viral, criticised security chiefs in the country for not doing enough to end terrorism and needless killings of citizens, after which he was detained
The House resolved that ldakpein should be brought before its relevant Committees and the leadership to brief them on the happening in the Northern part of the country from information within his knowledge.
These resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, titled: ‘A Call on the Nigeria Army to Release Lance Corporal Martins Idakpein from Arrest on the Basis of his Expressed Opinion’, sponsored by Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) at plenary.
Moving the motion, Elumelu noted that on 22nd of June 2020, ldakpein from the 8 Division Sokoto of the Nigeria Army made an online video wherein he condemned the Iackadaisical attitude of security chiefs towards the incessant attacks and killings of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram and other armed groups in the Northern part of the country.
He said the security chiefs after seeing the video instead of buckling up and living up to their duties in protecting the country, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai ordered that ldakpein be arrested and moved from Sokoto to Abuja for speaking up against the Army authorities.
Elumelu expressed concern that the military which is supposed to protect the territorial integrity as well as enforce the laws of the nation are in a habit of illegal, wrongful and unconstitutional detention of soldiers whenever they ask that the right things should be done.
The Minority Leader said: ”Though section 121 of the Armed Forces Act, grants the military the restrictive powers to arrest its personnel but section 122(6) of the same act provides that such personnel is entitled to immediate release, unless the release will be a threat to national security and lance corporal Martins ldakpein has not proven to be a threat in any way. Lance Corporal ldakpein has been held in detention till date and his wife who tried to secure his release has also been detained too, this is an affront to the letters of chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended which guarantees the fundamental human rights of citizens.”


He added that these trends, if left unchecked, may become a serious menace that can fan the embers of the country’s nascent democracy for the wrong reason, hence the need for urgent intervention and caution to the Nigeria military.
Similarly, the House directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Onyenma to set in motion the necessary steps to identify and trace all Nigerians including Faridah Abdulsamiu detained or held in captivity in various detention centers in Libya with a view to securing their immediate release from detention.
It also directed all government agencies including, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons to collaborate with other governmental and non-governmental agencies including the International Committee of the Red Cross to trace and secure the immediate release of all Nigeria detainees in Libya.
The House further mandated its Committees on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to ensure compliance and report back to the house within two weeks.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on : ‘The Urgent Need to Secure the Release and Save the Soul of Miss Faridah Abdulsamiu and others in camps in Libya’ moved by Abdulganiyu Olododo (APC, Kwara).

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