This situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and those advocating for reform in Nigeria.
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has raised concerns about the welfare of detained #EndBadGovernance protesters and activists, including Michael Adaramoye, Mosiu Sodiq, and Eleojo Opaluwa.
The organisation alleges that these individuals are being denied basic human needs like food, healthcare, and essential housing materials, leading to illness and potentially life-threatening conditions.
The CDWR is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of these detainees, warning that if anyone of them dies in custody, President Bola Tinubu; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu should be held accountable.
The organisation condemns the continued incarceration of these individuals, describing it as unlawful victimisation and an attack on those who speak out against misgovernance and demand better living conditions.
They argue that it is unjust for corrupt capitalist ruling elites to walk free while innocent activists and protesters are punished for demanding change.
This situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and those advocating for reform in Nigeria.
The civic organisation stated this in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Chinedu Bosah.
The statement is titled, ‘CDWR condemns the continuous incarceration of Michael Adaramoye, Mosiu Sodiq, Eleojo Opaluwa and others based on a remand court order clandestinely procured by the police.’
“The Nigerian Police and the Bola Tinubu-led regime are hell-bent on sustaining the incarceration of #EndBadGovernace protesters and activists,” the group said. “It is about three weeks, and still counting, since Comrade Michael Adaramoye (Michael Lenin), Sodiq Mosiu and others have been illegally and unjustly detained by the Nigerian Police on the order of Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Tinubu without trial.”
The statement further said, “The Nigerian Police have ensured that Michael Adaramoye and others are denied access to legal representation, and family members as they are kept incommunicado. The detainees are also held in deprivation of basic human needs like food, healthcare and essential housing materials like beds, etc.
“Due to the inhuman and deplorable conditions the detainees are subjected to, some of the detainees have fallen ill and Nuhu Ribadu and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun have denied them the right to medical treatment; the Tinubu government will be held responsible if any of the detainees dies in detention.
“In furtherance of the incarceration, the Nigerian Police on Thursday, August 22, 2024, clandestinely procured a remand order at the Federal High Court Abuja to extend the unjust detention of the protesters by 60 days without their legal representatives.
“This underhand remand order further underscores the ongoing tyranny that has characterised the Tinubu government.”
CDWR alleged that the judiciary had been captured and used to enable the dictatorship of the Tinubu-led regime.
It said, “Since the preparation for the #EndBadGovernance protest, the government has used the judiciary across the country to undermine the constitutional and democratic rights of Nigerians to protest bad governance and anti-people policies peacefully.
“It is now a tradition for the government to secretly secure ‘Black Market’ injunctions and orders against workers, trade unions, and activists. We condemn this undemocratic and underhand tactics of the government.
“In Nigeria, the corrupt capitalist ruling elite walks freely while innocent activists, trade unionists, socialists, and protesters are unlawfully victimised and attacked. For instance, the former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was caught on video in 2018 collecting wades of dollars in bribes from a contractor.
“However, the Nigerian Police have not deemed it fit to arrest, detain and prosecute him. Rather than prosecute Ganduje he emerged as the national chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and has become “untouchable” just as many privileged, corrupt and self-serving members of the ruling elite.”
“We of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) reiterate our condemnation of the illegal and unjust incarceration of Michael Adaramoye, Mosiu Sodiq, Eleojo Opaluwa and others, and demand their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement partly read.
