The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the conversion of seized stolen assets into facilities to isolate COVID-19 cases in the country.
It made the call in an ‘urgent appeal’ to the President, dated May 2 and signed by SERAP deputy director in Nigeria, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abukabar Malami, to work with appropriate ministries and agencies to identify, publish and use confiscated stolen assets as isolation centres.
It explained that this would provide safe and enabling environments for the treatment and care of infected people, as well as improve the government’s ability to respond to COVID-19 and reduce the threat posed by the disease.
SERAP noted that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, was said to have begged Nigerians to donate and temporarily make their buildings available as isolation centres.
It stressed that making such donation would be counter-productive, as it would put the donors at a greater risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus.
“Rather than begging Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres, the authorities should identify, publish, and use confiscated assets as isolation centres, as a temporary measure.
“Using confiscated assets as isolation centres would be proportionate, necessary, and serve a legitimate objective, namely to protect public health and public order,” the group said.
It added, “The proposed measure would be lawful, and more effective, as it would be in the public interest.
“Using the confiscated assets as proposed would neither violate the accused’s right to property nor entail a duty to compensate. The proposal by the Minister of Health would pose unnecessary risks to public health.”
