During the recent statewide rallies against hunger and economic hardship in the nation, security personnel raided the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, which has been denounced by the United Action Front Civil Society (UAFCS).
Under the cover of darkness, the security personnel were accused of carrying out the raid by UAFCS, which identified itself as the official observers of the August countrywide rallies, “based on what they called the’suspicion’ that a most wanted criminal and terrorist was using the place as hiding abode.”
The group expressed disapproval of the ongoing imprisonment of prominent protest organizers, claiming that security personnel kidnapped them in a clumsy manner in the middle of the night during the protests.
Chief of the Coordination Secretariat
UAFCS, Olawale Okunniyi, stated in a statement that an independent civil investigation is required to determine the reasons behind the violence and fatalities that marked the nationwide protests in different parts of the nation, the crackdown on civil groups, and how to prevent future occurrences. This is based on observations from their Situation Room, which monitored the nationwide hunger protests in August.
“Therefore, in the interest of Nigeria’s stability, a committee comprising distinguished Nigerians from all six geopolitical zones of the nation shall be promptly established to undertake this historic and vital task.”
The organized Civil Society wishes to demand the immediate release of all protestors, including their leaders, including Ms. Angel Innocent, Michael Lenin Adaramoye, Opaluwa Eleojo, and Mosiu Abolaji, among others who were blind folded before being abducted by security agents by 2am in Abuja. The Organization calls for remorse and retreat on the part of Nigerian security agencies from the heinous security operation against Civil populace and Labour.
This is necessary because there are already widespread rumors that security personnel are planning to covertly kill these demonstrators—especially their leaders—while they are being detained to put an end to further demonstrations.
We therefore implore Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to make sure that none of the 1,423 protesters in various detention facilities across the nation suffer any untoward consequences. This will help to avert violent reactions from protestors during the upcoming wave of citizen mass action against the current economic policies that are fueling hunger and hardship in the nation.
To avoid an explosive citizens-government standoff that would be detrimental to Nigeria’s economic well-being, the leadership of organized civil society has finally called on President Tinubu to order the immediate release of civil protesters who are currently being detained nationwide by security agencies and to immediately begin discussions on the main demands of the nationwide protests before the next round of nationwide mass protests, which has been scheduled for October of this year. They say that a stitch in time saves nine,” the organization stated.