Chief of Naval Staff summoned over alleged rights violation

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Bem Angwe has summoned the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas over allegations of human rights violation reportedly per­petrated against an estate devel­oper, Lexy Nigeria Limited and its personnel.
The company’s Managing Director, Prince Leye Adetipe, in company of other workers of the firm, had on Monday thronged the commission with a complaint against the Naval Chief, the Managing Director of Naval Building and Construc­tion Company, Lt.-Commo­dore Abdul Adamu and men of the Nigerian Navy over alleged infringement of their human rights.

While receiving the petition from the complainants on Mon­day, Prof. Angwe said the com­mission would give the naval authorities the opportunity to state their own side of the issue.
He noted that the com­mission would study the pe­tition and give all parties fair hearing with a view to deter­mining the dispute in the most suitable manner, adding that the commission will not hesi­tate to award damages where it deemed necessary.
“In Nigeria today, there is no individual or organisation that is above the law. We are de­termined to put impunity to an end in line with the laws estab­lishing the commission,” Ang­we declared.
In the petition, Mr. Adetipe said his firm, Lexy Nigeria Lim­ited, had on 19 May, 2015, en­tered into a joint venture agree­ment with the Naval Building and Construction Company Limited in respect of the de­velopment of Navy Town Es­tate in Asokoro, Abuja after a Board Resolution of the Nige­rian Navy Holdings Limited was passed.
However, contrary to the joint venture agreement to maintain a single bank account with Access Bank Plc, the naval authorities opened an account with another bank where it al­legedly kept the proceeds from the joint venture and made it­self the sole signatory.
He further alleged that armed naval personnel invad­ed the project site on 19 Feb­ruary this year, and forcibly ejected his workers out of the property, adding that all efforts by his firm to resolve the dispute proved abortive as the Navy de­clined their overtures.
Adetipe urged the commis­sion to award the sum of N10 billion as damages and grant a restraining injunction against the naval authorities from fur­ther tampering with his firm’s activities on the project.