By: Umunna Kalu

Civil society organizations, (CSO) have raised alarm over attacks on media, and CSO’s under the president Bola Tinubu-led government, submitting that the present leadership is worse than the military era and now a full blown dictatorship.

This is as the group demanded immediate release, unconditionally, of all those held in detention for their participation in the 10-day endbadgovernance protest.

The CSO’s included among others: Youth Rights Campaign, Enough is Enough (EiE), Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA), Womanifesto, Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), Active Citizens Group Nigeria, Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM). Joint Action Front (JAF) and #EndbadGovernance movement, Lagos State chapter.

The groups at a rally to present their signed statement at the Lagos office of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Lagos, Wednesday 11, vowed not to retreat from confronting the Tinubu dictatorship, despite it’s harassment and intimidation style.

They handed their letter to Barrister Lucas Koyejo (PhD), State Coordinator, NHRC.

The statement reads in part: “We, the undersigned, call for the urgent intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to free unlawfully incarcerated citizens and to put a halt to the ongoing assault on democratic rights in Nigeria.

‘”According to the NHRC’s public statement, there are currently over 1,200 Nigerian citizens who are victims of illegal detention and trial on false charges in connection with last month’s #EndBadGovernance protests.

“The list includes:Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Love Innocent, Adeyemi Aabayomi Abiodun, and 5 other Nigerian citizens arrested since the first week of August 2024 and are now locked up in Kuje and Suleja prisons following their arraignment on September 2nd, 2024 for treason, terrorism and plot to overthrow the government of President Tinubu.

” Treason carries the death penalty.114 other protesters, including children aged 14 to 17, were transferred from police custody to correctional or youth detention centers following an August 24 court order to hold them for 60 days until an investigation is concluded and charges are brought against them. Akande Daniel was arrested on Sunday September 1 has been locked up since then without trial at the detention facilities of the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja.Isaac Bristol, a social commentator alleged to be in charge of an anonymous social commentary account known as @PIDOMNIGERIA on X (formerly Twitter) was arrested and now charged with financing terrorism.

“Khaleed Aminu and others in the dungeon of the SSS. SPURIOUS ALLEGATIONS. The charges against these citizens are ridiculous and false.

“All they did was participate in a mass protest against the condition of hunger and hardship in the country or speak their mind on national issues. Adaramoye Michael Lenin is a young Nigerian who felt the need to throw his lot behind a protest against the hardship he and many Nigerians face.

“He was arrested because his nickname, Lenin, which is the same as Vladimir Ilich Lenin, the 20th-century Russian Socialist, and revolutionary who led the 1917 Russian revolution, allows the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS) to justify the allegation of a Russian plot to overthrow the government.

“While not saying displaying one necessarily proves a crime yet it suffices to note that Lenin was never even pictured nor seen displaying a Russian flag. Mosiu Sodiq was arrested because he was found in the same building where Adaramoye Michael was arrested.

“The police have no evidence whatsoever that he participated in the protest because he didn’t. The same applies to Angel Innocent, a 51-year-old single mother, who was arrested simply because she featured in a television interview shared on social media in which she accused government officials and other politicians of paying people 5,000 naira (about US$3) to disrupt the #EndBadGovernance protests at the MKO stadium.

” The other arrests are similarly baseless.The point we are making therefore is that this is nothing but a sham trial of innocent Nigerians.

“All the arrested protesters facing trial today are innocent and do not deserve the incarceration and false charges the Nigerian state has preferred against them. Neither are their parents and families who are in untold distress at the moment.

‘It is sad that rather than concentrate on fighting insecurity and protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians, the Nigerian state is trying manipulate National Security laws to criminalize peaceful protest and erode civil liberties in the country.

” The immediate implication is that a legal precedent may be set that equates protest with treason thereby curtailing citizens’ enjoyment of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, association and lawful assembly as guaranteed under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).KILLING OF UNARMED CIVILIANS Alongside the attacks on democratic rights is the killing of unarmed Nigerians by security operatives.

“No fewer than 17 people were reportedly killed in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa, while others were injured as security operatives attempted to quell the #EndBadGovernance protest.

” Till now, the Nigerian authorities have not taken any step to investigate the actions of police and other members of the security agencies involved in the killings and other violations.

“Other violations for which this petition has been drawn up include:Unlawful surveillance, tracking and bugging of mobile phones, laptops and digital devices belonging to activists, journalists, bloggers etc. Placement of blanket restrictions on the bank accounts of activists, journalists, civil society organisations (CSOs) for alleged sponsorship of terrorism, eg theTake it Back Movement (TIB).Constant harassment of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero through repeated police invitations and more recently, arrest by the SSS. Invasion of the NLC national secretariat in Abuja by the Police..

” Destruction of books and properties in the Iva Valley Bookshop located in the premises of the NLC secretariat and run by Andrew Wynne. Harassment and arrest of workers, friends and close family of Andrew Wynne. Invasion of the office of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by SSS operatives.Disappearance of journalists, activists and critics.

“Nigerian citizens are living in the worst moment of their lives as, on top of the economic catastrophe we all face, basic freedom and civil liberties that used to exist have been eroded through the activities of security agencies and the authorities.

“As a result, all activists, critics, journalists and staff of NGOs and CSOs now live in fear for their lives given the permanent threat of attacks and loss of personal freedom that hangs over anyone who dares to speak out.

‘Recall that the August 1-10 protest held against a backdrop of the unprecedented state-orchestrated campaign of threats against would-be protesters. Ahead of the protest, efforts by made by state and non-state actors to whip up ethnic sentiment while also threatening violence against people of a particular ethnic group in the country.

“Also during the protest in Lagos and elsewhere, state-sponsored thugs freely attacked protesters at Ojota and Alausa. In Lagos state for instance, on Thursday 1st August 2024 members of the police RRS team broke the head of a protester, Damilola Akinola, along Oregun road as he was walking home during the first day of protest.

” He had to be hospitalized and the head stitched to save his life. There is no evidence that the police have investigated the unprovoked attack.

“Such impunity by state and non-state actors against citizens peacefully protesting against hunger and hardship is dangerous to peace and national cohesion.

“As a Commission that has a mandate to deal with all matters relating to the promotion and protection of human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United Nations Charter, and the Universal Declaration on Human Right, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international and regional instruments on human rights to which Nigeria is a party, we call for your urgent intervention to redress the situation.
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“To this extent, we pray the National Human Rights Commission to do the following: Communicate clearly to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police that the continued sham trial of Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Love Innocent, and the other Nigerian citizens, including minors on trial for treason violates Nigeria’s national and international commitments.

“Ensure that those citizens that the Commission has identified as being arrested for protesting are released. In addition, that the attack on civic actors like the NLC President, SERAP, TIB and activists through intimidation, police invitations and bank account freezes are stopped.

“To demand a halt to illegal surveillance, tracking and bugging of phones and digital devices belonging to activists, trade unionists and journalists.

“To institute an independent and democratic public probe panel to look into the immediate and remote causes of the violence that broke out during the protest in some parts of the country with a view to determine what roles non-state actors as well as state actors like the DSS, the police and other security agencies may have played in infiltrating protests in order to precipitate violence to justify repression. Such a panel will also examine the attempt by state and non-state actors to whip up ethnic sentiment and threatening violence against group of people ahead of the protest as well as efforts by Police authorities and other security agencies to use national security to rob the Nigerian people of their freedom of expression, association and lawful assembly.

‘Proper compensation to all those injured by the police and security operatives and the families of those killed during last month protest.”

The statement was signed by: Francis Nwapa – National Secretary, Youth Rights Campaign (YRC).Opeyemi Adamolekun – Executive Director, Enough is Enough (EiE)Dagga Tolar, General Secretary of the Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA). Mary Peluola – Convener, Womanifesto.
Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji – Chairman, Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC)Adamma Ukpabi – Lagos State Coordinator, Active Citizens Group Nigeria.Peluola Adewale – Organizing Secretary, Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM).Abiodun Aremu – Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF).Hassan Taiwo Soweto – Representative, #EndbadGovernance movement, Lagos State.

Coincidentally, a federal high court in Abuja, yesterday, Wednesday 11, granted bail to 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters standing trial for alleged treason offence.

The defendants include Michael Lenin, Adeyemi Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Simon and Angel Innocent.

Others included: Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu.

They were arraigned before Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, on September 2.

They pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit felony and inciting mutiny — which are punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.

They were also accused of trying to start a war, intimidating the president by attacking and injuring police officers, and burning police stations.

The defendants were also charged with torching the NCC complex in Kano, Kano Printing Press, Kano government house, and several other buildings.

Although the defendants had applied for bail through their different lawyers, Nwite ordered their remand in prison custody pending a ruling on the application on September 11.

Delivering the ruling on Wednesday, Nwite granted a N10 million bail to the defendants.

They are to produce one surety each in like sum. The sureties must have landed property in Abuja, produce documents of the properties, and submit them to court.

Recall that Nigerians staged a nationwide protest against economic hardship from August 1–10.

The protesters demanded a reduction in the cost of governance, a return to the petrol subsidy regime, food security, and fiscal discipline, among others.

The demonstration turned violent in some parts of the country, with looting and vandalism recorded in some states.