Detained, Not Charged: FG Playing Game Of Suppression On Protesters – CSOs
The Nigerian government has again failed to arraign three #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria activists, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, and Eleojo Opaluwa, despite holding them in detention for two weeks.
The activists were allegedly detained under orders from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Their detention has been widely criticized as an attempt to suppress dissent.
No charges have been filed against the trio, prompting the government to postpone their arraignment to August 23. The move has sparked outrage, with some civil society groups viewing it as a violation of their rights.
Dr. Zikirullahi Ibrahim, Executive Director of CHRICED, expressed concern about the detainees’ well-being.
He said, “We hope that a good number of the detained protesters are still alive. If they are, we wonder why the government is delaying their day in court. These are citizens of Nigeria.
“The situation the government has created enabled their protest. People said they are hungry and took to the streets to protest. What is difficult about that?
“Of course, we know that in this country, if you’re not a politician, the child of a top security chief, or a wealthy individual, you are treated as a nobody, and that’s why our laws seem lopsided in dealing with consequences.
“In a more civilized society, the President and his security chiefs would have buried their heads in shame and resigned from office. The minimum a government can offer its citizens is ensuring food security.
“But what our security agencies have done to please their masters is detain innocent citizens and play games with their arraignment. We have reached a point where we should bring this matter before the international community..”
A member of the Take-It-Back-Movement who spoke under anonymity for security reasons also condemned the government’s actions, saying, “The Nigerian government failed to bring Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, and Eleojo Opaluwa to court today, despite their two-week detention under orders from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
“Instead of releasing them, the government deployed security forces to the court, apparently to suppress planned protests.”
The CSOs also said the government’s decision to deploy security forces to the court suggests an attempt to intimidate protesters who had planned to demonstrate in support of the detained activists.
An ultimatum demanding the release of all detained protesters is expected to be issued soon, adding to the growing pressure on the government to respect human rights.