LAGOS: Security Operatives Interrupt Candlelight Procession For Slain Hunger Protesters
Policemen, soldiers and other security operatives have reportedly invaded the Lagos venue for public symposium and candlelight in honour of those who died during the nationwide #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest in the country.
This was disclosed by Amnesty International and the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL).
The venue, Right House, located at 43 Adeniyi Jones, Oba Akran, Ikeja, is the headquarters of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.
A group known as the Education Rights Campaign had applied to use the facility for the symposium and candlelight scheduled for today (Friday).
“You are cordially invited to join us on Day 9 of the #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria movement.
“Event: Public Symposium and Candlelight Procession in Honour of: Our fallen heroes who have lost their lives due to bad governance,” Education Rights Campaign said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The group informed those that would be coming to dress in black attire and bring along with them candles.
“Join us as we come together to demand change and seek justice for those who have been affected by bad governance. Let’s take the next steps towards a better Nigeria!” it added.
In a statement via its X handle, while expressing worry, Amnesty International accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of lacking regard for human rights.
According to the rights group, the invasion indicates that the government is determined to crush dissent voices.
“Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the unlawful invasion of the Ikeja Lagos office of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR). This (is) coming days after NLC headquarters was ransacked, is a dangerous dimension to the attacks on freedom of association.
“Now, the office of the human rights defenders is under the siege of dozens of heavily armed policemen, soldiers and other security personnel. The Nigerian authorities must investigate this incident and give directive to the security personnel to immediately vacate the office.
“The violent crackdown on protesters against hunger nationwide since 1 August trailed by attacks on the civil society organizations are a worrying indication of President Bola Tinubu’s government utter disregard for human rights and determination to crush dissent,” Amnesty International said.
In a follow up tweet, it noted that the dwindling civic space in “Nigeria is set to create a toxic climate of fear that may put activists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations and journalists in danger.”
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has also condemned the siege, calling on the state’s Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, to call his men to order and ask them to vacate the facility as soon as possible.
“Our attention has been drawn to the heavy presence of policemen at the Right House, It should be noted that the Education Rights Campaign applied to use the facility for a symposium today.
“The symposium which is supposed to be a peaceful assembly does not warrant the recent action by the police. Irrespective of what the Police may be thinking, they should not have invaded the building and start harassing innocent people going about their normal and legitimate businesses.
“We at CACOL therefore condemn in strongest terms the unlawful and arrogant manner in which the law enforcement agencies, especially the police, invade people‘s homes and offices of Nígerians and organisations, even without warrants like criminals.
“We want the officers and men of the Nigeria Police to know that we are in a democratized political dispensation and all militarized effontries ought to be checked and do away with.
“We would like to use this medium to call on the Commissioner of Police in the State to call his men to order and that they should vacate the facility as soon as possible,” CACOL said in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER.
