The Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Chief Security Officer of Madonna University, Awka in Anambra State have been summoned by the National Human Rights Commission.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, summoned the officials at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.
Angwe said they are to appear before the commission on August 17.
He said the attention of the commission was drawn to a media report on the abuse of the rights of some students by officials of the institution.
He said: “On August 9, the attention of the Commission was drawn to a publication of Sunday Sun on the abuse of the rights of some students of Madonna University allegedly committed by its officials.
“This abuse almost resulted into fatal injuries.”
Angwe added that the commission also noted a report on the alleged killing of a bus driver in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by a police sergeant.
Angwe described the acts as not only barbaric but also condemnable, particularly in a democratic setting.
“Nigerians have chosen democracy as a form of governance, where the rule of law and the observance and respect for human rights prevail, he said.
Angwee said the commission had concluded arrangements to arraign persons who ignored the commission’s invitations.
He said: “The commission has concluded plans for the arraignment of persons who have willfully refused to comply with the lawful directives of the commission in accordance with Section 6 (4) of the amended Act of the commission.
“This section makes it an offence for any person, body or authority to refuse to comply with lawful directives of the commission.”
He said the commission had commenced daily visits to police detention centres across the country to ascertain the level of compliance to human rights norms.
Angwe said findings of the visits would soon be made public.
He advised Nigerians to support the commission by reporting human rights abuses against them, particularly by security officials.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the school authority had said the students were suspected cultists.
NAN.
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Dotun Oladipo