Politics
…warn against forceful suppression of civil protests…
THE report that some armed operatives of the Department of State Services had raided the home of one of the leaders of the ongoing Endbadgovernance protests in the Federal Capital Territory, Micheal Lenin and arrested him in the wee hours of Monday morning has been described as unconstitutional and the clearest evidence of forceful suppression of peaceful protests.
HURIWA through Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko the National Coordinator, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the arrested activist Comrade Micharl Lenin and asked that such despicable kind of operation by the armed security forces must be abolished and the security forces should comply with best global practices and in line with the provisions of the chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.
HURIWA stated that Nigeria as a nation that subscribed to global human rights laws must compel her security forces to operate decently and in total observance of the rule of law. “Why should the security forces be operating like kidnappers? This is totally reprehensible and abominable.”
HURIWA has also blasted the Inspector General of Police Mr Kayode Egbetokun and the FCT Police Command for deploying crude force to suppress dissent and disperse peaceful protesters in different parts of Abuja including the primitive and criminal act of throwing teargas canisters into homes of Abuja residents including nursing mothers whilst chasing after the youthful protesters around the Area 1 Garki motor park in the Federal Capital Territory whereby youths with placards had gathered to protest peacefully.
“We are once more, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution the security forces to avoid the resort to brute force and the adoption of crude and illegal tactics including the use of live bullets against peaceful protesters. These tendencies that depict the return of dictatorship might drive aggrieved persons into their shelves and then they may opt for violent revolts at a time that the security forces may not even be ready or aware.
“We think that the Nigeria Police Force is attempting to drive the protesters to the wall and lovers of democracy must stand up in total defense of constitutional democracy in Nigeria. The Bangladeshi formula must never be allowed here. Equally, we condemn the display of Russian flags by some unruly protesters in Katsina, Zamfara and Kano State just as HURIWA maintains that those clamouring for Russia’s Putin type of totalitarianism are grossly ignorant of how dangerous and toxic such a clamour is. We must sustain and grow our constitutional democracy. Putin of Russia is a brutal dictator and no sane person should wish Nigeria that type of uncultured brutal tyranny like Russians have in Vladimir Putin.
HURIWA recalled that the Abuja leader of protesters Mr. Lenin was picked up by the DSS around 2 am on Monday at his residence in the Apo area of the FCT.
Speaking with the media, the Director of Mobilisation, Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, said Lenin’s house was raided by the DSS.
He alleged that the DSS also assaulted him during his arrest.
Adenola said, “ Lenin has been arrested by the DSS. He was picked up during a raid on his house around 2am.
“He was arrested and tortured in the presence of his family. We are demanding his immediate and unconditional release.“
The DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
He has yet to respond to a message sent to him.
Lenin, who is the National Coordinator, of the Youth Rights Campaign, was one of the organisers who spoke at a press briefing expressing disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast on Sunday.
At the briefing, he said the President’s broadcast demonstrated that he is out of touch with reality in the country.
He said, “We wish to express our sadness and deep disappointment at the latest broadcast by President Tinubu which is his first address to the nation on the #EndBadGovernance protests, after over three weeks since Nigerians started mobilising to take to the streets and after scores of dead protesters and assaulted journalists from the first three days of the protests.
“ Many had requested that the President should just address the nation when the protest was being mobilised and when it started to escalate, but most of us did not know that the President would only justify state violence on protesters and journalists while dismissing the demands of the protesters whenever he decides to speak.
“This, plus the failed attempt to co-opt the progressive and radical language of the protests only shows how much President Tinubu is out of touch with the masses.“
Lenin, however, said the protest would continue massively on Monday, calling on the citizens to come out in large numbers.
He said, “We, therefore, call on Nigerians to come out in large numbers to continue these protests on Monday until our demands are met. The two-pronged approach of violence and propaganda has failed.
“The violence and repressions are just attempts to silence and control us, and the propaganda cannot sway or fool us.”
A.I
July 6, 2024
Tags: HURIWA
