February 26, (THEWILL) – The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged US President, Joe Biden, to exercise his powers “pursuant to the Presidential Proclamations 7750 and 8697 and the Immigration and Nationality Act, to ban Nigerian officials, politicians and other perpetrators and sponsors of violence during the just concluded elections.”
SERAP also urged Biden to “use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, to block or revoke the visas of anyone suspected to be responsible for cases of intimidation, harassment and violence during the elections, and to impose asset freezes and property sanctions on them and their families.”
The letter followed reports of cases of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence in several states of the country including in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Gombe, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers and Taraba states, as well as Abuja.
In the letter dated February 25, 2023 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said: “The imposition targeted sanctions against suspected perpetrators and sponsors of election-related violence in Nigeria would promote accountability, end impunity, and deter human rights violations.
“Applying the presidential proclamations, Global Magnitsky Act, and Immigration and Nationality Act as recommended would be very helpful to stopping further violence before, during and after elections, facilitating free and fair elections, and encouraging the people to exercise their right to vote.
“The recommended travel bans, asset freezes and property sanctions should also cover anyone who may perpetrate and sponsor violence and human rights crimes during the postponed elections in 141 polling units, and the governorship elections scheduled for March 2023.
“SERAP welcomes your government’s publicly expressed commitment to impose visa restrictions on officials, politicians and other perpetrators and sponsors of election-related intimidation, harassment, and violence. We urge you to include asset freezes and property sanctions on the list.
“Giving serious consideration to our recommendations and promptly implementing them would give meaning to this commitment, and demonstrate the willingness of your government to support and strengthen democracy, citizens’ participation and the rule of law, as well as end a culture of election-related violence in Nigeria.”
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