CDHR Delta: Take Your Grievances To Court, Not The Media, Affirms Agberen’s Leadership

CDHR Delta: Take Your Grievances to Court, Not the Media, Affirms Agberen’s Leadership

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Delta State Branch, has affirmed the legitimacy of the leadership of its Chairman, Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, while urging those challenging his emergence to seek legal redress instead of taking their grievances to the media.

The state branch made the call in a statement jointly signed by Chairman Comrade Derrick Agberen and Secretary Comrade Chika Maduh in response to a publication by Comrade Edoso Samuel and Comrade Evans Orusi, who called on security agencies to arrest Agberen and members of his executive over alleged impersonation following the recent CDHR Delta State election.

According to the statement, Edoso Samuel and Evans Orusi belong to a faction led by Comrade Kehinde Prince Taiga, who the organization said was suspended and subsequently expelled from CDHR in 2021 in accordance with the group’s constitution. It alleged that the Taiga-led faction, which includes Edoso Samuel and Evans Orusi, who were both handpicked, which operates clearly in a violation of the CDHR Constitution. The statement further claimed that despite his expulsion as National Vice President, Taiga has continued to parade himself as National President for over six years, describing the arrangement as a one-man administration that does not reflect the collective will or organizational structure of CDHR and is contrary to the democratic principles upon which the organization was founded.

The statement maintained that despite the existence of the faction, CDHR has had successive nationally recognized presidents since 2021, including Comrade Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, a former two-time Attorney General of Edo State, Comrade Debo Adeniran, and the current National President, Comrade Folarin A. Olayinka. It added that the authentic National Secretariat of the organization is located at 43, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, stressing that the Delta State executive was elected under the leadership of the recognized national body.

The leadership also noted that Agberen previously served as State Vice Chairman under Taiga’s faction but, in 2023, realigned with the recognized national leadership alongside other members after observing what it described as constitutional breaches within the faction.

The Delta State branch advised those making allegations against its leadership to channel their complaints through the appropriate legal and organizational processes rather than the media.

“If the allegations have any merit, they should present them before the CDHR National Secretariat at 43, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, or seek redress in the law courts rather than operating from a factional office on Deco Road, Warri,” the statement said. It also urged media organizations to exercise caution in amplifying what it described as factional disputes that do not represent the legitimate leadership of CDHR.

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Reaffirming confidence in the Agberen-led executive, the branch said its mandate is to unite all factions, restore the integrity of the organization and uphold the constitutional ideals upon which CDHR was founded.

The leadership further called on members to focus on core human rights issues, including bad governance, corruption, unlawful detention, police extortion and brutality, saying these remain the real challenges confronting Nigerians and should be the priority of every human rights defender.

It reiterated its commitment to due process, justice, good governance and the protection of human rights, stressing that the fight against oppression can only succeed when members remain focused on defending the rights of citizens rather than engaging in internal disputes.