#RevolutionNow: Police, DSS swoop on protesters nationwide

Making good their threats, security agencies across the country Monday moved against supporters of RevolutionNow, a group led by Omoyele Sowore.

Sowore, a pro-democracy activist, founder SaharaReporters – an online platform  and  presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general elections, had, through various platforms,  mobilised a handful of Nigerians home and abroad for “a forceful change of government” under the guise of a revolution.

The online publisher announced plan to call out Nigerians for a revolution, consequent upon which the DSS  picked him up for allegedly planning to subvert a democratically elected government.

Further to this, both the Police and DSS  Sunday warned they  would deal decisively with anybody or group of persons coming out to protest Monday in line with Sowore’s directive.

While  supporters of the group in some states defied the order, the security agencies also made good their threats.      

From Lagos to Calabar (Cross River state), Osogbo (Osun state), Akure (Ondo state) and Ibadan (Oyo state), it was series of arrests of protesters.

For instance in Osogbo, a 72-year-old woman and a journalist were reportedly arrested by the police.

Lagos

True to their words,  protesters Monday trooped out in their number as early as 8.am to the  National Stadium Surulere, Lagos to begin #RevolutionNow, to protest what they called bad governance in the country.  

But stern looking police personnel dispersed the group with teargas and in the process, about  eight  members were said to have been  arrested.

About 20 police patrol vehicles and armoured personnel carriers, as well as anti-riot and civil defence officers and operatives of the Military Joint Taskforce were on standby at the two main entrances of the stadium to ward off any civil unrest.

Stanley Imhanruor, a member of the #RevolutionNow, said the arrested protesters were kept in a police van parked inside the Area C Police Command in Surulere.

“That’s the number I can confirm now,” said Mr Imhanruor, a lawyer.

“They are still there, we just went to give them food and we will wait around to monitor where they will be taken to.”

A police officer at the Command told Premium Times they were awaiting the directive of the Area Commander on the arrested protesters.

Those arrested include Segun Babatunde Osunla, Gabriel Ojumah, Ehis Omohomio, Aniobi Stanley, Victor Ogungbenro, Elias Ozikpu, Kenechukwu Ukachukwu, Banwo Olagokun, and Sanyaolu Juwon.

Premium Times learnt that the police also assaulted some journalists who had arrived to cover the protest.

One of them, who identified herself as Amanda, said her phone was initially taken from her despite showing her ID card to the police officers.

“A female officer returned my phone and she told me, ‘If you have sense, you’ll leave.”

Ibadan

And from Ibadan, armed security operatives comprising men of the Nigerian Army, the Police, DSS  and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps  stormed the University of Ibadan main gate to stop the  planned protest fixed for the day nationwide.

Also, the Oyo state Police Command has warned people of the state to steer clear of the ‘revolution’ march.

 It was learnt that the armed security operatives arrived the UI main gate at about 5.45am following reports that the Ibadan version of the protest might kick off from the place.

 The arrival of the armed security operatives was said to have caused panic as many students, lecturers and others were caught unawares, forcing the institution’s security guards to hurriedly shut the gate to visitors coming into the institution. 

Notwithstanding the tension however, there was no visible sign of the planned protest in and around Ibadan, and other major towns in the state.

Meanwhile, the Oyo state Police Command has cautioned residents of the state to stay off from the protest.

In a statement Monday by the state’s police public relations officer, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, the command said it would  not fold its arm and allow any group to cause anarchy in the state. 

“The commissioner of police in Oyo state, Shina Olukolu wishes to inform the entire citizens of this state to disregard the above captioned message and video trending on the social media being circulated by a faceless group called “Global Dilation for Security and Democracy in Nigeria and others. It is an illegal group attempting to incite the generality of the people to join a planned ‘Revolution March Against the Federal Government of Nigeria today Monday 5th August, 2019 mainly to force a regime change in the country. This is against the law of the land.

 “The Police in Oyo state will not fold its arms and allow any individual or group to create anarchy, chaos and acts that can lead to breakdown of law and order.”

Osogbo

 And in Osogbo, Osun state, policemen went tough on  protesters as a septuagenarian fufu(food made from cassava) vendor, Sariyu Akanmu became victim of  the operatives.

The protesters had gathered in front of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel at Olaiya after addressing newsmen, following  which DSS operatives  warned them not to go to the streets.

As the protesters were appealing to the DSS, policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Dugbe police station, came into the scene.

The continuous anti-government song of the protesters apparently infuriated the policemen who immediately fired tear gas to disperse them.

A 72-year-old woman, who was hawking fufu, sympathised with the protesters and the old woman was dragged by a female police personnel who beat her up.

Correspondent of News Direct, Sunday Oguntuyi, who approached the police to plead for the release of the old woman was also harassed as the police sprayed him with teargas and also slapped him.

Blueprint reports that leader of the group, Comrade Olawale Adebayo and nine others were brutalised and whisked away by the DSS.

Calabar

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River state Council, has condemned the arrest of the correspondent of The Nation Newspapers, Nicholas Kalu, who went to venue of the RevolutionNow protest to cover the event , and therefore called for his immediate and unconditional release.

The state NUJ chairman, Comrade Victor Udu, regretted the action of the security personnel, saying the arrested journalist was at the venue of the protest just to cover the event and not as member of  the group.

“I condemn the act totally, he was just doing his job, he did not go there with any weapon, he went there with his jotter and pen. The Police should immediately and unconditionally release Nicolas Kalu,” he stated.

Blueprint Reporter who monitored the event said there was palpable tension at the cultural centre complex, venue of the RevolutionNow protest spearheaded by the state chairman of the African Action Congress(AAC), Comrade Agba Jalingo.

Jalingo and all those who took part in the protest were tear-gassed by a detachment of the Nigerian Police even as a combination of the Police and the military, including the men of of the NSCDC embarked on an unprecedented show of force around the metropolis.

Also arrested alongside Kalu were  Mr Jonathan Ugbal and Mr Jeremiah Archibong who work with an online medium–Cross River Watch.

They were both alleged to be  AAC members but this could not be established.

When contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer Irene Ugbo, said she was not aware of  Kalu’s arrest.

He assured members of the Correspondents’ Chapel who stormed the Police headquarters, that the arrested journalist would be released as soon as practicable.

However, Kalu was still in the police custody as at press time.

Presidency taunts group

Meanwhile, the Presidency Monday taunted the convener of RevolutionNow, saying attempt to incite citizens into a revolution against their own democratic rights and interests had failed.  In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, the presidency said President Muhammadu Buhari and the government were humbled by the show of support by Nigerians not to participate in the alleged plot to remove a democratically elected government.

It said: “Today, millions of Nigerians went about their businesses: work, seeking employment, attending school/college and caring for their families. By doing so, the millions defended our country’s hard-won democratic rights – by ignoring calls on social media to join a phantom ‘revolution’.”

“There were a few hundred persons today who, for their own reasons, decided to act upon the demands of a group calling itself Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, which went on social media to ask everyday Nigerians to overthrow the government they only elected some six months ago.

“The president is humbled by the support – not for himself, or the governing party – but for the democratic values of modern-day Nigeria through the wisdom of those millions of citizens who preferred democracy and decided not to undermine an elected government. “Today, joining those millions of Nigerians was not only the president and governing party at federal level, but many state governments from the opposition, trade unions, civil society organisations, media and NGOs with focus on freedom of speech. All have, rightly, united in protecting Nigeria’s young democracy and the rights of all to elect leaders and lawmakers. “The Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria’s attempt to incite citizens into a revolution against their own democratic rights and interests has failed – as will all attempts to take away from the people their hard-won rights and freedom to choose who leads their country.’’

‘Prosecute Sowore’

In a related development,  the Civil Rights Movement of Nigeria (CRMN) has asked for Sowore’s prosecution.

At a press conference Monday in Abuja,  CCRMN president, Aaron Dutoye,  said the protest was a blueprint designed to overthrow the government. 

CRMN further said the DSS should  secure a court order to keep Sowore in its custody “once he is arraigned given the gravity of the crime he has committed and the potential instability his release could pose.”

Dutoye said: “Clearly, there has been a coordinated campaign to intimidate law enforcement organisations from doing their job. This included describing Sowore’s arrest as kidnap or abduction. Influential Nigerians have been sold dummies and recruited to condemn his arrest without them referring to his crime. It is legitimate to demand for accountability from government, but plotting to overthrow a legitimately elected government is certainly not something that any government in the world will accept. 

“We are aware that Sowore is hoping to pass himself off as an opposition member even though he only scored 33,953 of the more than 28 million votes cast, less than the winner, President Muhammadu Buhari scored in one local government. We demand that the Department of State Services (DSS) immediately arraign Omoyele Sowore for treason to serve as deterrent to others with similar intentions.”

Arewa youth, NANS warn

Also, a northern youth group under the aegis of Arewa Youth Federation (AYF) has distanced itself from the call for revolution protest and warned youth from the zone not to allow themselves to be used.

While insisting that the call was against a democratically elected government, the group said “activism is not madness” and must be done within acceptable standards.

Briefing journalists in Abuja Monday, AYF president, Adamu Kabir Matazu, said they would resist any group or person planning to destabilise the country.

“That the Arewa Youth Federation as an organisation formed on the core principles of democracy and our belief in the Nigerian democratic experiment remains unshakable. As  such, we totally and completely dissociate our organisation and our teeming members from the so-called revolution now protest and we condemn in the most strongest terms the attempt by the organisers of the protest to jeopardise the fragile peace and stability we are currently enjoying as a nation.

“We commend the Department of State Services (DSS) for their prompt arrest and detention of Omoyele Sowore and we call on the DSS to investigate his connection with Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB and their known collaborators in Nigeria… should immediately be arrested for questioning because we suspect they were hired to destabilise our country by some foreign interests or some faceless politicians who lost out in the last general election.

“The relative peace and stability we are enjoying in our country today is as a result of the proactive measures being undertaken by our security services against forces of darkness who want to tear the country apart as such we would not allow our country to be turned into another Libya, Syria or Sudan in the name of revolution.”

In the same vein, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency come up with more social intervention programmes as a way to curb the current restiveness in the country.

The body further slammed the proponents of the ‘RevolutionNow’ movement, saying  their call was akin to a coup detat against a democratic government.

Addressing s a press conference in Abuja, zonal coordinator, NANS Zone A, Comrade Umar Farouk Lawal, while describing this as unacceptable, however praised the DSS for their prompt response even as they urged other security agencies to emulate the agency.

“For us, there will be no compromise when it comes to putting the nation first over and above any other consideration, it is Nigeria first and Nigeria always,” he said.

Falana differs

However, rights activist and lawyer , Femi Falana, SAN, has insisted Sowore’s act was neither mutinous nor treacherous.

Falana who spoke on a TV programme monitored in Abuja, said the group was only protesting to “challenge wage disparity and non –payment of N30,000 minimum wage.

He said: “They are only challenging disparity in wages, if they are challenging the non-payment of N30,000 minimum wage promised workers, the protest is not mutinous or treacherous.”

Rather than clamping on the protesters, the police should protect them, saying Buhari also led similar protest in 2014.

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