The Genesis

The right to life, and the right to dignity – not to be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, is recognized as the most fundamental of all human rights. As such, they are at the heart of international human rights conventions such as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. But immigrants and asylum seekers subjected to arrest, detention and forced expulsion or deportation are frequently denied basic dignity – they are often removed without time to put their affairs in order or say goodbye to friends or sometimes family; they are sometimes physically manhandled, sometimes shackled, gagged, beaten mercilessly, sometimes illegally sedated – and occasionally, their right to life is forfeit.

Currently making headlines in Nigeria and parts of the world is the case of Osamuyia Aikpitanhi, aged 23, who died while being deported from Spain. According to an eye witness report on NVS; In a bid to deport Mr. Aikpitanhi from Spain to Nigeria, Spanish law enforcement agents employed measures that were unreasonable, inhumane, illegal, and, ultimately, fatal.

According to reports, Spanish law enforcement agents arrested Mr. Aikpitanhi, beat him, bound his hands and legs firmly with ropes, and put a gag over his mouth. The Spanish Officials then loaded him like an animal onto an Iberia aircraft bound for Lagos, Nigeria. Finally, the law enforcement agents covered him with a sack in order to prevent other passengers traveling on the aircraft from observing the undignified and inhumane manner in which Mr. Aikpitanhi was restrained. Mr. Aikpitanhi, a human being, was treated worse than an animal.

Shortly after the aircraft became air borne, Mr. Aikpitanhi died. He died an inhuman death, bound, gagged and soiled in his own waste. Apparently, he choked on the gag that the law enforcement agents had put on him. The Spanish law enforcement agents murdered Mr. Aikpitanhi.

Treated worse than a dog
Chester, the deceased brother, states that his brother was bound hand and foot, and that adhesive tape was put on his mouth before he boarded the plane, when he was already struggling. He also believes that the officers beat him. ‘They killed him like a dog’, he said bitterly, after lodging a formal complaint at the police station. Osamuyia had been in Spain for four years, living in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) before being arrested.The Spanish government is currently doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death following a media and concerned citizen’s outcry against the inhumane treatment.

Matters Arising.
Some concerned Nigerians are not resting on their oars until victory is granted. A team of Nigerians and concerned friends of Osamuyia Aikpitanhi are currently signing an online petition for onward delivery to the Spanish Embassies Worldwide on Friday, June 29th, 2007.

The petition reads, in part:

“The Nigerian community worldwide is shocked and appalled that Spain, a member country of the European Union and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, would permit her law enforcement officials to conduct themselves in the macabre fashion that that are in complete contravention of all International Human Rights Instruments and their protocols. Arrested persons have rights and are indeed presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. And, even in the event of conviction, are entitled to decent and humane handling in transit in conformity with the International Declaration of Human Rights as well as treatment that conforms to human decency…Gagging a suspect to death is extreme, inhumane, and unacceptable in any modern jurisdiction.“

The protesters are demanding, amongst other things, that the Spanish Government immediately take measures to put an end to the practice of inhuman treatment meted out to citizens of Nigeria and others from third world countries and that appropriate compensation be paid by the Spanish Government to the next of kin and survivors of Mr. Aikpitanhi.

In addition, volunteers from over 25 countries are working tirelessly towards delivering the protest letter to the Spanish embassies/consulates in their various places of abode. The protest letter, presently, have been signed by more than 3,000 people…and still counting.

Media Coverage:
The protest letter delivery, billed for Friday, 29th June, have been assured of media coverage by most Nigerian Newspapers, AfricanLoft, Channels TV, Silverbirds, Galaxy TV, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NTA, BenTV in UK, Cyprus Times, CNN Turk, CNBC-e, ThinkSpain News, and many more. BBC and CNN are also in the loop. Of course, bloggers and African online News Media are already at work passing information to its readers.

Truly blood cries!!! Osamuyia’s blood is screaming from the grave and will not be kept silent until justice is done.

PS: sign the petition at http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/newsflash/nigerian-citizen-gagged-and-killed-by.html

More News:
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN133033.html
http://www.irr.org.uk/2007/june/ha000018.html
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=310913
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/newsflash/nigerian-citizen-gagged-and-killed-by.html

Related posts:

1. Sign Osamuyi Aikpitanhi’s Petition – Donald Thieme, An AfricanLoft Author
2. Osamuyia Aikpitanhi’s Murder: Matters Arising
3. Nigerians Booted off London-Lagos British Airways Flight…Nigerian Embassy Should Investigate
4. Project Alert on Violence Against Women
5. Podcast: Issues in the Niger Delta