A coalition of Civil Society Groups has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the continued human rights violation and mass trial of hundreds of protesters arrested during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests held between August 1 to 10, 2024.
The groups in a jointly signed statement on Wednesday raised concerns over critical issues of human rights violation including: “Unlawful surveillance, tracking and bugging of mobile phones, laptops and digital devices belonging to activists, journalists, bloggers etc.
“Placement of blanket restrictions on the bank accounts of activists, journalists, civil society organisations (CSOs) for alleged sponsorship of terrorism, eg theTake it Back Movement (TIB)
“Constant harassment of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero through repeated police invitations and more recently, arrest by the SSS. Invasion of the NLC national secretariat in Abuja by the Police. Destruction of books and properties in the Iva Valley Bookshop located in the premises of the NLC secretariat and run by Andrew Wynne. Harassment and arrest of workers, friends and close family of Andrew Wynne.
“Invasion of the office of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by SSS operatives.
“Disappearance of journalists, activists and critics.”
The groups also condemned what they described as spurious allegations against the protesters demanding that the blatantly trumped-up charges filed against them must be immediately withdrawn.
“The charges against these citizens are ridiculous and false. All they did was participate in a mass protest against the condition of hunger and hardship in the country or speak their mind on national issues,” they noted in their statement
The groups further criticised the Nigerian government’s handling of the situation, accusing the government of unrelenting efforts to punish protesters and demonize protests.
“The point we are making therefore is that this is nothing but a sham trial of innocent Nigerians. All the arrested protesters facing trial today are innocent and do not deserve the incarceration and false charges the Nigerian state has preferred against them. Neither are their parents and families who are in untold distress at the moment.
“It is sad that rather than concentrate on fighting insecurity and protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians, the Nigerian state is trying manipulate National Security laws to criminalize peaceful protest and erode civil liberties in the country. The immediate implication is that a legal precedent may be set that equates protest with treason thereby curtailing citizens’ enjoyment of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, association and lawful assembly as guaranteed under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended),” parts of the statement read.
Consequently, the groups prayed the National Human Rights Commission to do the following:
(1) Communicate clearly to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police that the continued sham trial of Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Angel Love Innocent, and the other Nigerian citizens, including minors on trial for treason violates Nigeria’s national and international commitments.
(2) Ensure that those citizens that the Commission has identified as being arrested for protesting are released. In addition, that the attack on civic actors like the NLC President, SERAP, TIB and activists through intimidation, police invitations and bank account freezes are stopped.
(3) To demand a halt to illegal surveillance, tracking and bugging of phones and digital devices belonging to activists, trade unionists and journalists.
(4) To institute an independent and democratic public probe panel to look into the immediate and remote causes of the violence that broke out during the protest in some parts of the country with a view to determine what roles non-state actors as well as state actors like the DSS, the police and other security agencies may have played in infiltrating protests in order to precipitate violence to justify repression. Such a panel will also examine the attempt by state and non-state actors to whip up ethnic sentiment and threatening violence against group of people ahead of the protest as well as efforts by Police authorities and other security agencies to use national security to rob the Nigerian people of their freedom of expression, association and lawful assembly.
(5) Proper compensation to all those injured by the police and security operatives and the families of those killed during last month protest.
