Ezekwesili demands apology from Buhari over arrest

By Ben Adoga
The Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has demanded an apology from President Muhammadu Buhari for the illegal arrest and detention of herself and other members of the group by the police in Abuja on Tuesday.
Members of the BBOG were prevented from staging their usual peaceful demonstration in the Abuja Unity Fountain and marching to the Presidential Villa.
Some members and Ezekwesili who were arrested were taken to FCT Police Command and later released.
The BBOG has been demanding the release of the remaining Chibok girls who have been in captivity for over three years.
President Buhari during his inauguration promised the speedy release of the girls during his tenure. So far, some of the girls have been released under Buhari.
Ezekwesili said: “The President needs to tell us why our fundamental rights have been abused, because our movement has steadfastly been known as a movement that has never behaved in an unruly manner. Wea��re well organised, disciplined and have never disturbed public peace. So, why will the police be sent after the BBOG? What kind of repressive era have we entered into? We will not accept that. The President is the one in control of the police, he needs to apologise to us.a�?
According to her, the police violated their rights for arresting and maltreating her members without a charge in line with the laws of the land.
“The police violated our rights by forcefully arresting and hauling our members into the police vehicles and taking us to the police station while at the same time locking me and some other members at the Unity Fountain. They locked me in particular at the Unity Fountain by building a human barricade around me, despite my asking them to allow me leave.
“While I was held at the Unity Fountain, I realised that some of our members who had gone ahead of us to the Villa gate were being manhandled, dragged on the ground and pushed into the police vans and taken to an unknown destination,a�? she said.
One of the leaders of the movement, Maureen Kabirk, said that the welfare of cattle had taken a centre stage in the heart of the President who now responds more promptly to issues that affect the herdsmen than Nigeriansa�� welfare.