A veteran journalist, Richard Davis, has said research had revealed how those who stand and speak against injustice either by way of protest or public speaking end up becoming victims in Nigeria.
Davis made the revelation in a paper titled “The Agony of Human Activism in Nigeria’s political space’, said the recent arrest and intimidation of human rights activists was becoming alarming.
He alleged that Nigerian politics was designed to suppress the truth, good governance, constitutional rights of the people as well as encourage corruption and nepotism.
He condemned the spate of politically motivated assaults, illegal arrests, persecution and killing of human rights activists perceived to be threats – whether real or imaginary which is on the rise in Nigeria.
“This is not just a stereotype passed down from the early days of Kudirat Abiola, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Gani Fawehinmi to the present days of Femi Falana, Oby Ezekwesili, Deji Adeyanju, Aisha Yesufu, Rinu Oduala, Dj switch among others,” he said.
According to him, the unpopular ones like David Best, Omatshola Amuka-Pemu and others had silently suffered untold persecution for daring to protect minority youths and persecuted Christian communities in their quest for a better society filled with Hope.
He further stated that investigation also revealed that a respectable number of these human rights activists, especially the unpopular ones, endure the brunt of targeted persecution from government and their cronies.
