Human Rights Day: How I saved lady from assassination when I was governor – Yero

This was even as the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRCN), Tony Ojukwu said Nigerians are being threatened by terrorism, with over 133 millions living in poverty.

Speaking on the commemoration of the 2022 World Human Rights Day, ex-governor Yero said he was driving round town one fateful night without the normal official security details when he ran into a parked car in a grey area with a lady struggling with two men inside the car.

He said out of curiosity he summoned courage, and parked his own car, walked to the occupants of the suspected car, adding that, “they quickly recognised me and the lady started crying that I should help her because the two men wanted to kill her”.

The former governor explained further that he quickly ordered for the arrest of the two suspects, adding that after the police investigation, it was discovered that it was another woman that hired assassins to kill the lady.

He said the essence of his story was that in today’s world, women are attacking and raining violence on fellow women, and no longer men’s exclusiveness against women.

“When I was the governor I used to drive in a certain area at night. One day, I was driving and sighted a parked car by the roadside. I turned back and went to the car. The occupants realised I was the one. There were two men dragging a lady inside the car. The lady cried that the men wanted to kill her. I ordered for their arrest. After due investigation it was discovered that it was a woman that hired the men to kill the lady. So in today’s world it is no longer men that are after the women, the women are not into violence, attacking fellow women.

“If you go to prisons you see young men languishing in jail because of N5000 offence. So I wish to appeal to the judiciary to do something about this situation so that they will not end up being criminals after leaving the prison”.

Former governor Yero also called on the Commission to create more awareness, sensitisation and programme about its responsibilities to attract people that matter in the society.

“I expect more crowd because of the nature of the events. It appears the Commission is handicapped. Extend your hands to local governments. Partner with NGOs. Partner with ministry of justice, ministry of women affairs so that you get the needed support”. Yero advised.

Earlier, the Kaduna State Coordinator of the Commission, Terngu Gwar delivered the address of the Executive Secretary.

“As the world marks the 2022 international Human Rights day, the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria joins the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary General of the United Nations and the entire human rights community across the world to celebrate the ideology of a universal human family carefully espoused almost 75 years ago through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( UDHR).

“As we mark this day, it is very important to remind ourselves of the significance of the day. It is a day set aside by the United Nations for introspection on values of Human life, dignity, equality and freedom of all human beings regardless of our peculiar circumstances.

“Though races, tongues and skin colours may differ, in brotherhood, the human race must stand.There is no better time than now for the message of UDHR, a milestone document to resonate more with us in a world which is constantly threatened by so many divisive factors along several faultlines such as religion, poverty, pandemics linked to several conspiracy theories, climate change, terrorism, insurgency, etc.

“For NHRC as a national institution established for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria, this year’s celebration amplifies the plight of over 133 million Nigerians living in multi dimensional poverty, the millions of out of School children (the highest in the world), the millions of our brothers and sisters internally displaced by conflicts and floods across the country, the thousands of women and children survivors of Gender Based Violence, etc as challenges requiring collective solutions by all.

“It must be stressed that the theme for this year’s celebration, “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All” should as a matter of necessity be taken as a clarion call to all human family to remember that the quest for peace, freedom, justice and other solutions to our troubled world, we should always call to mind the preamble of the UDHR which says: “…. recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”

-the sun