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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A coalition of over 200 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to investigate the shameful action by the Department of State Services (DSS) personnel that desecrated the Federal High Court Abuja last Friday to rearrest the convener of RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore.
Addressing newsmen at a media parley in Abuja on Monday, the coalition demanded the immediate release of Sowore and other activists held unjustly.
Charging the government to obey all outstanding court orders, the CSOs warned that it will occupy Nigeria should President Buhari fails to comply with the demands, insisting that the group will organise mass protest which may result in an imminent civil disobedience.
In a statement read by the convener, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Yemi Adamolekun, the group said; “Two key issues are of concern to us, namely: attack on our Judiciary and attack on free speech and pattern of silencing dissent. We demand the following: that President Buhari shows accountability as President and Commander-in-Chief and address the nation on his commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
“That the government obey all outstanding court orders. An investigation of the officers who violated protocol and the circumstances leading to Omoyele Sowore’s second arrest. The unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore per his bail terms.
“If these five demands are not honoured within 14 days, we call on patriots to join us as we occupy the National Human Rights Commission offices across the country, as it is legally mandated to protect rights and it reports to the Presidency,” the group warned.
A coalition of over 200 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to investigate the shameful action by the Department of State Services (DSS) personnel that desecrated the Federal High Court Abuja last Friday to rearrest the convener of RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore.
Addressing newsmen at a media parley in Abuja on Monday, the coalition demanded the immediate release of Sowore and other activists held unjustly.
Charging the government to obey all outstanding court orders, the CSOs warned that it will occupy Nigeria should President Buhari fails to comply with the demands, insisting that the group will organise mass protest which may result in an imminent civil disobedience.
In a statement read by the convener, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Yemi Adamolekun, the group said; “Two key issues are of concern to us, namely: attack on our Judiciary and attack on free speech and pattern of silencing dissent. We demand the following: that President Buhari shows accountability as President and Commander-in-Chief and address the nation on his commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
“That the government obey all outstanding court orders. An investigation of the officers who violated protocol and the circumstances leading to Omoyele Sowore’s second arrest. The unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore per his bail terms.
“If these five demands are not honoured within 14 days, we call on patriots to join us as we occupy the National Human Rights Commission offices across the country, as it is legally mandated to protect rights and it reports to the Presidency,” the group warned.
Speaking at the event, Deji Adeyanju, said: “On the mass action, anyhow we look at it, even late Sani Abacha obeyed court orders, every dictator in this country obeyed court orders. As a movement and as a people we must stop beating round the bush, President Buhari has not hidden his intentions from day one, he said that national security is second to rule of law and he has demonstrated it.
“When he disobeyed court order of El-Zakzaky, we all kept quiet, he did it to Dasuki we kept quiet, now he is doing it to Sowore. DSS never had any plan to release Sowore, they were compelled to release Sowore because Justice Ojukwu was courageous enough to give them 24 hours to comply.
“Whether we like it or not, mass action is inevitable if government refuses to comply with the demands,” he warned.
Similarly, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, said: “This is a collective responsibility not just for the CSOs but for everyone because we are all in danger. It is a collective crisis we have found ourselves in, it’s about our country and our people. This same people who are perpetuating this brutality today were crying yesterday.
“In 2015, when DSS went and raided APC data centre, they were crying. Lai Mohammed shouted that this is the worst that has ever happened in the history of Nigeria but today they are justifying this gross, violation of fundamental human rights in Nigeria.
“We want to let the country and the whole world know that we are in a state of siege, what we are experiencing is worse than military dictatorship because during the military regime courts were not invaded to carry out illegal attack.
“Instead of them to apologize to the nation they were rather justifying the shameless act. We have a moral obligation as citizens to sanitize governance in this country, we must checkmate excesses of public officials.
Equally speaking, the convener, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) & Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Biola Akiode-Afolabi, said: “It is about fighting for the soul of this country, the way the thing is going, it is gradually becoming a style and pattern of this current government to desecrate the courts and to do it with a lot of impunity without being careful to the implication of that to the Nigerian people.
“The government can’t claim that they don’t know what happened on that day. Their response by insisting that justice should be done in that regard shows that it’s a conspiracy. The ultimatum starts today, they should release Sowore and others,” Biola insisted.
Some of the representatives of the CSOs that signed the statement include, Amnesty International (Nigeria), Osai Ojigho, Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE Nigeria), Yemi Adamolekun, (HEDA) & People’s Alternative Front, Lanre Suraj, Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP), Kola Ogundare, Take Back Nigeria (TBN), Jaye Gaskia, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) & Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Biola Akiode-Afolabi,
