A group, the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOTiON) has called on the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all detained protesters, including the minors who were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their participation in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.
MOTiON also called on the Attorney General of Federation to use his office to withdraw the charges against them, also calling on the federal government to end criminalisation of peaceful protest and a complete halt to the harassment of citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
The Convener of the group, Hauwa Mustapha, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said “this alarming attempt to criminalize peaceful expression as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as Amended is yet another assault on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Nigerian citizens.
“Failure to heed these demands will compel MOTiON to mobilise the full force of our membership, along with millions of Nigerians, to resist this unbridled tyranny,” the group said.
It further stated that the grpup will not rest until justice is served, adding “We are prepared to confront this state repression head-on, alongside every Nigerian who believes in a just and democratic society.”
MOTiON said it “was appalled by the blatant display of government repression that has led to the unconscionable detention of 76 protesters across the nation including 32 minors.”
It noted that these protesters were being “charged with ludicrous accusations of terrorism, attempted mutiny, and treason simply for exercising their democratic right to protest against government mismanagement of the commonwealth resources, hunger and hardship.”
It noted that it is increasingly apparent that the Nigerian government is not only weaponising state power, but is also acting in dangerous alignment with external forces like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
“In seeking to implement an agenda driven by these international entities, the government has seemingly resorted to brutal repression to silence dissent and discourage citizens from publicly resisting harmful policies.
“The government’s actions, including detaining minors, inflicting trauma on protesters, and issuing punitive bail conditions of N10 million each send a clear message that protests, and free expression are being treated as criminal acts and is a shameless and deliberate act designed to keep them imprisoned indefinitely and send a warning to all who might dare to dissent.”
MOTiON added that the root causes of these protests reflect deep-seated issues of bad governance, crippling inflation rate that has sharply reduced the purchasing power of citizens, and an unmanageable cost of living that leaves countless Nigerians grappling with hunger and poverty.
Mustapha said rather than the government addressing these deep-rooted issues of poverty which is affecting over 65 percent of citizens and has seen at least 20 million children roaming the streets of the nation, government has resorted to high handed approach of fighting the very citizens it swore to protect.
“These are the real crises that have driven citizens to take to the streets, to demand accountability and a government that prioritises the well-being of its people over external agenda.
“The coordinated suppression of public expression is uncalled for, as it is disturbingly aligned with an IMF and World Bank playbook notorious for encouraging governments to suppress their people to enforce often oppressive economic reforms,” Mustapha added.
She added that the Nigerian government’s partnership with these entities has evidently come at the cost of the democratic rights of its own citizens.
“These recent events position the current administration as systematically paving the way toward full state capture and adopting a dangerous blend of dictatorship under the guise of democracy.
“MOTiON calls upon the federal government to recognise that dissent is not a crime; it is a democratic right. Attempts to criminalise it will only strengthen the resolve of the Nigerian people to demand justice and accountability,” Mustapha said.
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