The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has petitioned the Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Abuja, demanding the release of Babatunde Oluajo and other citizens taken away and detained incommunicado by agents of the state security service in connection with the nationwide peaceful protest hunger and hardship.
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma said that the petition was necessary to draw the attention of the NHRC, 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 (SSS).
He explained that 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 (YRC), in Abuja.
He said: “They and others were arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) at about 2 a.m. 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.
“It is never an offence when citizens peacefully protest to call the attention of government to their plight and the 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.”
According to the activist, the continued clampdown on protesters and protest organizers in Nigeria was contrary to the Tinubu government’s claim that it respected the right 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,” said Nwanguma.
He said that RULAAC therefore called on the NHRC 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.
He added: “The government should respect citizens’ rights to protest peacefully and dialogue with them to address their grievances rather than clampdown on them.”
