HAS THE CONDITIONS FOR DEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY TO CIVILIAN POPULATION ARISEN?
“Section 217 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended) clearly lays out the circumstances and conditions under which our Armed Forces can be deployed. These are as follows:-
(i) for the defence of Nigeria from external aggression.
(ii) for the maintenance of the territorial integrity and securing the borders of Nigeria from violation on land, sea and air,
(iii) for suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President; subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
With regards to subsection 3 above, has the civil authorities failed? What exactly has the Police done in the area so far? Do they report any inssurection? Not as far as Nigerians are concern.
The implication of the President action is that he acted ultra vires when he deployed the Nigerian Army to the South Eastern Nigeria.
It is South East Nigerian today, do we know what region is next?
I implore people of goodwill to speak out and stop this President from bringing back his days of Decree 4 in a constitutional democracy. Nigerians should act now before it is too late.
Evil prevail when good people stand aside and do nothing.
The Nigeria government should allow citizens referendum for them to determine how they want to live their lives.
And to those who will argue the Nigeria constitution did not recognize referendum. I will say in a critical and perilous time like this, the doctrine of necessity can be invoked to conduct referendum and there is no need to amend the Nigerian constitution.
Olatayo Ogedengbe Esq (September 2017)
