A Civil Society group known as Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has condemned the arrest and continued detention without trial of its National Coordinator, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq as well as others arrested in connection with the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest of August 1 to 10, 2024.
Civic organisation, the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) on Tuesday called on President Bola Tinubu to stop his nascent civilian dictatorship and clampdown on democratic rights which he unleashed on Nigerians.
At a press conference held at the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos State, The National Secretary, Mr Francis Nwapa, who addressed the media alongside other members of the organisation, said that Lenin is a Socialist and consistent youth activist who has not broken any law but his offence is because he is speaking for the poor.
He said, “Today makes it 22 days that he was arrested together with Mosiu Sodiq and others in the dead of the night by a team of operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on 5 August 2024.
“During and after the arrest, he and others were blindfolded and driven round before they were dumped in the detention facility of the notorious Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
“Apparently, their abductors never wanted the public to know their whereabouts. They have been since then held incommunicado and without trial.
“Meanwhile, as it is now public knowledge, the Nigerian police approached the Federal High Court on Thursday 22 August 2024 to obtain an interim order to remand Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Sodiq and others by 60 days pending a so-called investigation into alleged terrorism, treason, and other serious offences.
“Justice Emeka Nwite equally ordered that some of the suspects, who are minors in the applications, be remanded in Borstal Home of the correctional centre, pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
Nwapa explained that ex parte order granted by the Justice Nwite is nothing but a mockery of the judiciary and rule of law.
“First, not only did the police fail to present any evidence whatsoever to prove that it has any legitimate reason to continue to hold the suspects, also none of the detained activists were produced in court apparently to hide from public view the terrible state they are in as a result of the torture, sleep deprivation and other abuses they have been subjected to in the custody of the Police.”
He regretted that since their arrest, they have not been allowed access to family members or their lawyers. “Infact, from information available to us, Mosiu Sodiq is critically ill and in need of urgent medical attention which he is being currently denied.”
The YRC scribe, however, announced that their team of lawyers led by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Olumide Adeyinka-Fusika (SAN) had filed actions to set aside the interim order and to insist on the respect of the fundamental rights of these detainees under the law.
While calling for immediate and unconstitutional release of the activists, the group stated that it has become crystal clear that the Nigerian State wishes to rope Lenin, Sodiq and activists into a contrived case of a Russian plot to topple President Tinubu’s government.
“As far as we are concerned, this is a ridiculous and disingenuous accusation against our comrade Adaramoye Michael Lenin.
“Firstly, while we do not hold to the belief that holding the flag of any country automatically constitutes a crime, yet it needs to be pointed out that Michael was not arrested with a Russian flag neither was he ever pictured at any of the protests holding one.
“Secondly, Michael is a Socialist and revolutionary who opposes the inequitable system of capitalism and all oppression. His life goal is to fight for a democratic and Socialist Nigeria wherein the wealth of the country can be democratically planned and judiciously used to make life better for the vast majority of the people who are currently wallowing in a state of misery despite the abundance of wealth that exist to make life better for all.”
Nwapa stated that the false and ridiculous allegations had a clear goal, which he described was an attempt to equate protest with treason in order to obtain the necessary legal, political and moral justification for the ongoing repression against the #EndBadGovernance protest.
“At least over 2000 protesters are currently languishing in detention across the country. This is aside over 40 who were shot dead by security forces during the protest itself.
“Sadly, this equation of protest with treason holds ominous consequences for democratic rights, civic space and our collective future as a nation. It means for instance that President Tinubu is by virtue of this political trial criminalizing any current or future protests against his anti-poor policies as inimical to national security and a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
“Never since the dark days of military despotism have we seen this level of authoritarianism. As we speak, bank accounts of Non-Governmental Organisations, activists, lawyers and journalists have been placed under ban over false allegations of terrorism funding. Many journalists and activists are being arrested while some are disappearing in shady circumstances.
“Of course, we are all aware of the criminal invasion of the National headquarter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) a few weeks ago and now the invitation of the congress President, Joe Ajaero, for questioning over allegations of financing terrorism. Also mobile phones and computers belong to activists and journalists are being bugged while a criminal surveillance network have been deployed to spy on civil society organizations, journalists, trade unions and any group whatsoever that dares to question the anti-poor policies of the government or defend the rights of citizens.”
The group demanded that all the rights of the detainees to receive visitation from their families, friends and lawyers should be guaranteed and respected.
