#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria: Rights group condemns arrest of protest leaders

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has written to the  National Human Rights Commission to demand the release of some of the arrested #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters.

RULAAC, in a letter on Tuesday signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, and made available to journalists, described the continued arrests of citizens participating in, or associated with the peaceful protest in Nigeria against economic hardship and widespread suffering in Nigeria under the President Bola Tinubu’s administration as undemocratic.

The letter read, “RULAAC writes to bring to the attention of the National Human Rights Commission and to request the commission to intervene to secure the release of Mr Babatunde Oluajo and others abducted and currently detained incommunicado by operatives of the State Security Service.

“We 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 (SSS) at about 2 am on Monday, August 5, 2024

“RULAAC views the continued clamp down on citizens participating in, or associated with, the peaceful protest in Nigeria against economic hardship and widespread suffering in Nigeria under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration as undemocratic.”

The group insisted that it is not an offence when citizens peacefully protest to call the attention of the government to their plight and the pains of their fellow citizens.

The statement said, “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 contrary to the Tinubu government’s claim that it respects 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.”

The group further noted that such actions showed a lack of respect for human rights and democratic ideals and undermined the government’s credibility in promoting and protecting these rights.

According to them, the use of force, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests to suppress peaceful protesters is unacceptable.

The statement added, ”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 calls on the commission to ensure the immediate release of all citizens arrested by the SSS and other security agencies in connection with the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights.

“The government should respect citizens’ rights to protest peacefully and dialogue with them to address their grievances rather than clamp down on them.”