Embrace Religious Tolerance, Human Rights Lawyer Urges Tiger Base Police, Imo Christian Group

Nigerian Human Rights Lawyer and Humanist Ikechukwu Obasi Esq. has urged the Tiger Base Police and Imo Christian Group to embrace religious tolerance.

Following a report credited to Sahara Reporters where Tiger Base Police and Imo Christian Group are accused of religious intolerance, the Human Rights Lawyer has taken to his verified social media account to admonish religious tolerance.

Sahara Reporters reported that Uru, Isi Ogwa autonomous community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State has been thrown into crisis following fresh allegations that community leaders, in collaboration with police officers at the notorious Tiger Base, unleashed a campaign of arrests, torture and intimidation against adherents of the community’s traditional religion.

The alleged crackdown is the latest chapter in a 19-year conflict triggered by the destruction of a sacred shrine during a Christian crusade in 2006.

Reacting to the incident, the Human Rights Lawyer who is also the CEO of Secular Advocacy TV and National Coordinator of Nonreligious Community In Nigeria has vehemently criticised the move.

In a press release titled Tiger Base Police and Imo Christian Group Must Embrace Religious Tolerance Obasi stated: “While I am yet to verify the allegation, I am not unaware of the chrislamic reality in Nigeria where only Islam and Christianity are given more credence. Indigenous traditional belief and Irreligious stance are treated with ignominy, levity and contempt.

While calling on the Police to investigate the allegation of religious intolerance, he said; “I am therefore calling on the Imo State government and the Nigerian Police to investigate the allegation of religious intolerance. Nigeria is a secular State under section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution. Not only that Nigeria is a secular State, religious freedom and freedom from religion is guaranteed under section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution. Therefore, any community or institution which perpetrates religious intolerance as alleged in the Sahara Reporters violates section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution which leans against discrimination on the basis of religion”.

“The Tiger Base Police and Imo Christian Group should know that the Nigerian Constitution is supreme pursuant to section 1(3) and violating it is the worst treason. Sovereignty rests on the constitution” Obasi concluded.