Arrest of peaceful protesters unacceptable, group tells security agencies

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has condemned the continuous arrest of some of the people participating in or associated with the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest across Nigeria by security operatives.

RULAAC, in a statement on Monday by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said citizens are simply making legitimate demands for good governance, adding that the clampdown by security agencies underscores the government’s insensitivity and despotic disposition.

Nwanguma also noted that the protesters have the constitutional right to express their displeasure against economic hardship and widespread suffering in Nigeria under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

He insisted that it is never an offence when citizens peacefully protest to call the attention of the government to the plight and pains of their fellow citizens.

The statement read, “RULAAC received information about the arrest of Mr Tunde Oluajo (a.k.a. Sankara), a human rights activist and anti-corruption campaigner and Michael Adaramoye, the National Coordinator of Youth Rights Campaign in Abuja. They and others were arrested by the State Security Service at about 2 am on Monday, August 5, 2024. It is never an offence when citizens peacefully protest to call the attention of the government to the plight and pains of their fellow citizens.

“The citizens are simply making legitimate demands for good governance. The repressive clampdown by security agencies underscores the government’s insensitivity and despotic disposition. The continued clampdown on protesters and protest organisers in Nigeria is indeed a contradiction to the Tinubu government’s claim to respect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.

“It reflects an intolerance for dissent and demonstrates insincerity and hypocrisy by the same government that acknowledges the right of citizens to freedom of expression and the right to demand good governance devoid of corruption. Such actions show a lack of respect for human rights and democratic ideals and undermine the government’s credibility in promoting and protecting these rights.

“The use of force, intimidation and arbitrary arrests to suppress peaceful protesters is unacceptable in a democratic society and goes against the principles of freedom of expression and assembly as enshrined in international human rights treaties that Nigeria has ratified.”

RULAAC, therefore called for the immediate release of all citizens arrested by the SSS and other security agencies in connection with the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights, adding that the government should respect citizens’ rights to protest peacefully and dialogue with them to address their grievances rather than clampdown on them.