Police ban political ceremonies at airports

By Kingsley Omonobi, Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Bartholomew Ndukwe
ABUJA—The Nigeria Police, yesterday, announced a ban on all political, socio-cultural or religious gatherings within and around airport premises, including tarmacs, lounges and other sensitive security points.

 

It will be recalled that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on Tuesday accused the Police of preventing his supporters from gathering at the Port Harcourt International Airport when he hosted opposition governors in the state.

 

Inspector-General of Police, Mr M. D. Abubakar who announced the ban yesterday, said it was in line with international best practices, in order to safeguard the airports and their critical infrastructure as well as to prevent a situation where airports are turned into places of political assemblies, religious worship and other social receptions.

 

L-R Chief Bisi Akande, Interim National chairman, APC; Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu former governor of Lagos State/APC Leader all acknowledging cheers from supporters Tuesday at the Rivers State Government house during a visit of the APC Leadership to Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

 

He pointed out that there are enough civic centres, town halls, and assembly halls for public meetings, carnivals and celebrations of all kinds.

 

In a statement from the Force Headquarters, the I-G said: “As part of deliberate efforts towards averting any security breach and the need to protect critical infrastructure, travellers, aircrew, airport staff and personnel at the nation’s local and international airports, the Nigeria Police High Command has placed a total ban on political, socio-cultural or religious gatherings within and around airport premises, including tarmacs, lounges and other sensitive security points”.

 

In line with the directive, the Force Headquarters, Abuja, directed the Airport Command Commissioners of Police, and Commissioners of Police in states hosting the airports to ensure that, in line with international best practices, firm security measures are taken to safeguard the airports and their critical infrastructure.

 

“They are also to prevent a situation where the airports are turned into places of political assemblies, religious worship and other social receptions, as there are enough civic centres, town halls, assembly halls etc for public meetings, carnivals and celebrations of all kinds”.

 

Disclosing that the Force was not unaware of the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freedom of movement and assembly, the IG stated that “the enjoyment of these rights must be situated within the bounds of the law and appropriate civil behaviour.

 

“The Force, therefore, implores Nigerians to co-operate with the Police in the effort aimed at improving the maintenance of effective safety and security at all the nooks and crannies of the airports.”

He called on the Nigerian elite, political and opinion leaders to assist the Police in the education and enlightenment of their fans, admirers, supporters and followers on the need to abide by these rules, as failure to comply will attract appropriate legal sanctions.

 

Meanwhile, lawyers, yesterday, expressed divergent views on the ban on gatherings at the airports by the police. While some lawyers said the ban is an infringement on the rights of the people, others believe the Police is right.

 

It is against the rule of law — Professor Itse Sagay, SAN

“Well, this is another Nigerian peculiar phenomenon. I believe it was because of the solidarity rally with Amaechi yesterday (Tuesday) that brought about the reaction. That robs it of all legitimacy because you are reacting to your opposition, reacting to a political opponent. It is not based on any principle or any objective factor.

 

In other words, when the PDP crowd was there some months ago and even stoned some opposition figures who were arriving, there was no banning. It is purely trying to prevent the opposition operating. That is how the police have been going about meetings of the opposition governors.

All these are against the rule of law. In our political development, it is a sign of political immaturity, intolerance, and at the end of the day, it is against our political development. Anything that is arbitrary, based on trying to suppress other people, on no objective factor, is a set back for the polity because the motive is wrong.”

 

The police is right— Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN

“If the police say it is banning political rallies, receptions at the airports, they are right. That is not a place to hold rallies and receptions, it is just that we fail to get our values right. How can you be having rally or reception at the airport? The police are right.

I think it is common sense to know that it is not right to hold rally at the airport. It does not need to be in our law. There are people at the airport who may not be  members of the political party holding rally, and at such moment what do you think they will do? Also, the airport is a security place, so why should you have rallies there? Do you have political rallies at airports around the world?”

 

An infringement on rights —Chief Morah Ekwunoh

“It was unconstitutional and undemocratic on the part of the police in stopping an executive governor of Rivers State, and/or his supporters in exercising their constitutional and inalienable rights, from moving about the country. It is part of ingress and egress and unconstitutional.

Apart from his being an executive governor, the issue of moving about is unquestionable. For the Police to have stopped him and his supporters, apart from being an infringement on his rights, it does not promote democratic settings or principle.”

 

Jubril Okutepka, SAN,

“Protest is a form of expression and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees that. Thus, any directive aside from an order of a competent court of law, stopping the citizens from protesting, especially in a lawless society, is unconstitutional, null and void. Nigerians have the fundamental right to protest not just only at the airport, but even to Aso Rock because they were built with tax-payers’ money. Any law in conflict with the constitution is invalid. The Nigerian Constitution is the grundnorm. Such directive from the police cannot stand.”

 

Mahmood Magaji, SAN:

“The right to protest is constitutional and inalienable. However, where your right ends is where another person’s own starts. If in all sincerity, the Police directive was in good faith in view of the level of insecurity in the country, then fine and good; it should be welcomed. But if it is directed at a particular individual or a given political party, then, that is where problem arises. Rather than encourage peace, such action could further fan the embers of crisis and civil unrest.”

 

Chief Nkereuwem Akpan:

“Constitutionally, the Police, have no power to bar peaceful protest in a democratic setting. However, some sections of the Police Act, stipulates that permission should first be secured from the Police, to ensure that planned peaceful demonstrations are not hijacked by hoodlums. That permission has become so imperative in our present day Nigeria, especially in this era of Boko Haram.  Most time, even the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, is involved in order to ensure orderliness during any protest march.

 

But how do you guarantee that orderliness, or that hoodlums will not hijack the process when protests are staged at the airport? Though the right to peaceful protest is constitutional in every free and democratic society, the airport should however be a no-go area.

Security wise, it is wrong and unsafe. Allowing every form of protest at the airport will only engender insecurity at our airports. You can protest at any other place but certainly not at the airport. In my view as a human rights activist, the Police was right and its action in stopping any form of protest at the airport does not amount to right violation.”

 

Mr Taiwo Ogunleye: “What the police should do is to put every apparatus in place towards ensuring the maintenance of law and order during any protest march, irrespective of where it is staged. It will be so flimsy an excuse for the police to just wave insecurity as a cardinal point of their argument to infringe on constitutionally guaranteed rights.”