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Civil nine organisations successful the state person condemned the crackdown and apprehension of a fewer protesters calling for the merchandise of Nnamdi Kanu.
LEADERSHIP reports that the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow question protest, which was witnessed successful immoderate states, including Abuja, is calling for the merchandise of the detained person of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Security operatives dispersed the protesters erstwhile they gathered astatine antithetic locations successful Abuja to protestation the continued detention of Kanu.
Kanu was archetypal arrested successful October 2015 connected coercion charges, but helium jumped bail successful 2017 and near the state aft a subject raid connected his home. The tribunal aboriginal revoked his bail successful March 2019 and ordered his re-arrest.
In 2021, the national authorities announced his re-arrest; however, successful 2022, an entreaty tribunal ordered that the charges against him beryllium dropped, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court the pursuing year.
The convener of the #RevolutionNow question and erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner of African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, who led the protesters arsenic aboriginal arsenic 6:50am astir the office of the Women Affairs ministry, insisted that Kanu beryllium released, saying it is injustice that Kanu is inactive successful detention portion President Bola Tinubu is granting pardon to murders, cause barons and different criminals.
In the cardinal country of Abuja, the protesters fled aft combined information forces fired teargas canisters to disperse them.
Security forces drawn from the Nigerian Police, Guards Brigade, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had beefed up information astir the Presidential Villa, Abuja, since Sunday.
They mounted roadblocks astatine strategical places starring to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Court of Appeal Headquarters, Force Headquarters and the fashionable Eagle Square.
Meanwhile, policemen arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s younger member Emmanuel Kanu, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, during the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest.
Sowore, who revealed this successful a station connected his X (formerly Twitter) handle, alleged that the constabulary utilized unrecorded ammunition and unit against protesters demanding Kanu’s release.
He wrote, “The @PoliceNG squad deployed to brutalise #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s member and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, arsenic good arsenic guiltless bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT Command. The constabulary indispensable merchandise them immediately.”
There was besides a nationalist outcry arsenic information operatives blocked large roads starring to the metropolis centre, resulting successful dense gridlock successful and astir Abuja successful the morning.
The Nigerian Police Force had warned against holding protests successful restricted areas of the capital.
Force PRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said a Federal High Court bid restrained groups from staging demonstrations wrong oregon astir cardinal authorities buildings, including the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
Hundeyin besides said that unrecorded bullets were not utilized connected protesters, but confirmed that the men of the Police utilized teargas.
It would beryllium noted that IPOB was banned arsenic a violent organisation successful 2017, and its equipped wing, the Eastern Security Network, has been accused of killings and different acts of unit successful caller years.
CSOs Condemn Arrest of #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protesters
Expectedly, civilian nine organisations (CSOs) person condemned the crackdown and apprehension of respective #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters demanding the merchandise of Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP successful Abuja, the caput of 2 salient CSOs — the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria — Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), decried the usage of unit and unlawful arrests against peaceful demonstrators.
He remarked that if the authorities could grounds specified spot against criminals and terrorists terrorising Nigerians, the nationalist would commend the efforts of the information agencies.
“If anybody oregon radical of radical does thing not permitted by our laws, the authorities should usage ineligible means to bring the concern nether control.
“But we bash not enactment the sidesplitting of radical successful the sanction of dispersing protests. We bash not enactment the usage of unit oregon unlawful arrests against radical demanding their rights. We judge successful dialogue. We judge successful negotiation.
“I judge that utilizing unit to forestall radical from expressing their rights lone creates conditions that thrust them to enactment retired improperly,” helium said.
Also condemning the arrests, the Grassroots Centre for Rights & Civic Orientation (GRACO) criticised the detention of peaceful protesters who had gathered to explicit their discontent with the perceived injustice successful the continued detention ...
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