A coalition of Civil Society Organization known as Concerned Civil Society groups have demanded the unconditional release of Human Right Activists, Deji Adeyanju, who has been under incarceration since 52 days in Kano.
Coordinator of Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, and his Co-Convener, Free Nigeria Movement Constitution Raphael Adebayo made the demand during a protest to the United States, United Kingdom and Canadian embassies on Monday in Abuja with placards of various inscriptions including “Tyranny thrives when majority are cowed”, “Democracy under Threat”.
The group called on the International community to prevail on the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian government to respect the laws and release comrade Deji Adeyanju who was earlier discharged and acquitted for the same offence.
He said: “Our fellow comrade has been unlawfully detained in Central Kano Prison for the past 52 days with limited access to family and associates. And all efforts to recall the regime of the day from this blatant assault on human rights and free speech has proved abortive.
“The Family and Associates of our fellow comrade fear that a plot may be in the offing to eliminate him as we have seen in recent times in Nigeria – of cases and instances where suspects died mysteriously in police custody without any autopsy or forensic investigation carried out on their behalf, he added.
He also expressed concern: “Fellow comrades of Deji Adeyanju in the civil society fear that this is a conspiracy to not only take him to a location beyond our reach – since we all reside within Abuja – but to also execute a wicked plot to put him out of circulation indefinitely”.
They also accused the Director of Corporate Communication, Buhari Campaign Organization Festus Keyamo (SAN)of being behind the persecution of Adeyanju as he was the lead counsel that defended Adeyanju in Kano.
He alleged that Keyamo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have plans to keep Adeyanju out of circulation as the general election approaches.
He added: “We also want to draw your attention to the ignoble role played by a senior lawyer, Festus Keyamo SAN, in the ordeal of Deji Adeyanju. It is important to note that during the course of his trial in 2009, Adeyanju was represented by Keyamo, who is currently the spokesperson for the re-election campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari. This fact is important in the light of Adeyanju’s criticism of the Buhari administration over the last three years which had resulted in several arrests and detentions.
“Mr. Keyamo’s stoic silence in the matter, at the expense of the continued violation of the rights of a person he once represented, therefore fuels concerns in the thoughts of many Nigerians that he may have played a key role in the design and execution of the plot to keep Adeyanju out of circulation in order to protect the interests of President Buhari and his campaign. More so that we had previously written a letter to Keyamo pleading for his intervention” Atoye stressed.
They further alleged that Adeyanju is still under detention because he is not from the northern part of the country.
“Deji Adeyanju is the only Yorùbá-Christian among the four people involved in the case that the Buhari government is reviewing, while the rest are Hausa-Fulani Muslims. This troubling development has also raised the fear that the divisive regime is also pursuing an ethnocentric persecution of our friend. The Buhari government has through its clannish and provincial policies and actions widened Nigeria’s fault lines, thereby unsettling the country along ethno-religious lines”
Also addressing the group, former Minister of Aviation and Spokesperson of PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Osita Chidoka said that the country is facing another regime that has refused to take the path of honour and respect for the rule of law.
He recalled that if not for the voice of Deji Adeyanju, Buhari could not have been a President.
He called on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to ensure justice is served to all Nigerians and not just on the party he represents.
He asked President Buhari to release Deji Adeyanju and other political detainees, saying Deji cannot be tried on the same matter twice.
Meanwhile, officials of United States, British and American Embassies while receiving the protest letter restrained from speaking to the press.
