Human Rights: Former SDP Presidential Aspirant cries for help

… As group accuses INCRESE of promoting gay rights

Following an inciting post on social media on the activities of her organization, former Presidential Aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Cesnabmihilo Dorothy Nuhu-Aken’Ova had raised the alarm that her life is in danger as she has received threats to her life.

Aken’Ova who is the Executive Director of the International Centre for Sexual Reproductive Rights (INCRESE) said her organization does not support any practice that the Nigerian laws frown at adding that, the perpetrator is ignorant of the workings of INCRESE and needed to carry out his research before exposing them to danger.

It should be noted that, a post on Facebook calling for the probe of the organisation and its funders have generated reactions for the past one week.

While addressing journalists on Friday, the former Presidential Aspirant said INCRESE which was founded in 2000 is committed to serve its beneficiaries, respect ethics and is guided by Nigeria’s constitution, regional and international legal instruments to which Nigeria is.

According to her “our lives are at risk and in danger following ... on social media. My life, the lives of our beneficiaries, the mentors and members of staff and we had to shot down our office for fear of being attacked going by social media threats.

The day the Nigerian government says gay is accepted, we work with the law but as of now we do not go contrary to the Nigeria law.”

Responding to whether INCRESE propagates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, transgender, Questioning and Plus which represents other sexual identities including pansexual, asexual and omnisexual (LGBTQ+), Aken’Ova said she nor the organisation is not in support of any practice that the Nigerian laws frowns against.

While saying that, several efforts have been made to ensure the issue does not escalate so as to avoid violent attacks, she said “we believe in alternative dispute resolution and we have tried it with him, and so if he is ready we can go reaolve. But we will go to court to get fair hearing eventually if the alternative dispute resolution is not achieved.

“We have asked him to remove ... for social media, he refused and said over his body and that if we feel we are in danger we should go and get the Police to guard us.”

Aken’Ova further disclosed that “INCRESE’s priority role and expertise is to contribute to the broad definition of the provisions and the concept of Sexual Reproductive rights and demonstrate its operationalisation at a small scale to enable governments and International NGOs adopt and scale up interventions to will reach the community level.

According to her “we are here today to remind Nigerians of who we are and what we do because we do not want to be misinterpreted, misunderstood, mis-represented or misjudged.”

However, in a statement made available to journalists, Youth Lead Nigeria has called for the prosecution of INCRESE in a statement made available to journalists saying “we call on the Niger State Government to immediately suspend the activities of INCRESE, as its activities have contravened the laws of the State and laws of the federation.”

According to the statement signed by Abubakar Mohammed, the group challenge the government and all other well-meaning members of society; corporate or individual, to also keep a vigilant eye over the society for any organisation that may have same or similar agenda.

According to the statement “we must not allow these bad eggs to destroy our society, religion, culture, and values with their evil and sinful agenda against us.

Following the revelation that exposed the cover up of their clandestine operations in the state, we have reviewed the facts and several information from public sources, Journalist and Activist Yahaya Mohammed Usman (Sai Baba) and found the objectives of this organisation to be toxic to our religious, cultural, societal laws, ethics and values”.