The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Service, Bayelsa State, Dr. Whales Moulders Bimbo, has said that the centre has 2600 recorded cases of Human Rights abuses in the state from January to December 2019.
Biombo, while speaking in Yenagoa yesterday, said that out of the 2600 recorded cases, the centre has been able to pursue 30 of it to the court for prosecution.
He however blamed the slow procedures in the nation’s judiciary system to the reason that poor people and those that suffered from human heights abuses always reluctant seeking redress in court.
He said most of the prevalence human rights abuses in the state includes; battering by husband, military invasion to communities, police brutalities, rape and defilement and recently the issue of jungle justice
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He said: “In 2019 alone, we have recorded 2600 reported cases of human rights abuses in Bayelsa State, those are the ones reported to our office or our field officers bring to us, we are not talking about husband and wife separating after the man put a woman in a family way, those ones are frequent, we don’t even record them.
“We have pursued about 30 of those cases to court, but most times, we are forced to withdraw some cases, reason being that the courts are not helping matters, how will one matter last for two to three years, how will poor who have faced human rights abuses sustain that matter.
“So, most of the time, in the cases that has to do with husband and wife, we withdraw them to our alternative dispute resolution centre.
“Most disturbing issue is that the Bayelsa State government do not have any business helping the victims of human rights abuses, there are nonchalant, they are not protecting the people.”
It could be recalled that some months ago, the men of the Nigerian Army, 16 brigade invaded Azagbene community in Ekeremor Local Government, displaced everybody and burnt down the entire community because sea pirates attacked their personnel protecting oil installation in the community.
It was also reported that in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State, an army man hired a commercial motorcycle and moved round the town, when it was the time to pay the driver, he refused and when the man insisted on collecting his fare, he manhandled him and stuff off the hair from his head.
The issues of rape, wife battering and jungle justice are very prevalence in Bayelsa State.
