HUMAN rights activist and the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for the arrest and alleged torture of protesters during demonstrations in Abuja on Monday, April 7.
In a post on his X handle, Sowore said security agents attacked peaceful protesters who demanded the repeal of the controversial Cybercrime Act and arrested several activists, including a campaigner known as @FlagboyFCTabuja.
Abuja experienced a tumultuous day in the wake of earlier protests and unprovoked attacks on activists during the #RepealTheCyberCrimeAct.
“Law enforcement officials at the ignoble @policeng arrested some of our comrades, including @FlagboyFCTabuja, who were subjected to torture and dehumanisation before being taken into custody at the infamous Abattoir Police station,” Sowore wrote.
He, however, confirmed that all those arrested were released same day, accompanying the post with pictures of their release.
The protest in Abuja was part of the planned nationwide action by the Take It Back Movement, which staged demonstrations in several cities, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan, demanding the repeal of the Cybercrime Act.
The Cybercrime Act, it would be noted, has faced increasing criticism from civil society groups, Nigerians, and journalists who accuse the government of using it to stifle dissent and suppress press freedom.
Earlier on Monday, The ICIR reported that police officers fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
In Abuja’s Maitama district, for instance, police cracked down on demonstrators, according to reports.
The police had described the protest as “ill-timed and mischievous,” claiming it was aimed at maligning the force on a day declared by the federal government as National Police Day.
The Police believed that holding protests on such a significant day could ‘malign its image and the nation as a whole.’
“In line with best global practices adopted by nations in celebrating the achievements of their Police institution, the Nigerian government has taken the bull by the horns by declaring every April 7 as National Police Day.
“The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is, however, questionable and perceived to be a deliberate attempt and unpatriotic act that is capable of rubbishing and maligning the image of the Nigeria Police and the nation as a whole,” police said in a statement on Sunday.
However, members of the Take It Back Movement, on Monday, proceeded with the protest in parts of the country.
In Lagos, the demonstrators could be seen (archived here) raising placards and banners that read ‘any law that forbids us from speaking out truths against oppression in Nigeria is no longer a law but shackles of slavery.’
In Ibadan, Oyo State, protesters marched through the streets with banners calling for ‘good governance and the total repeal of the Cybercrime Act.’
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M