Youth activists to Tinubu: Halt ongoing trial of #EndBadGovernance protesters

President Bola Tinubu has been urged to order the end of the trial of 11#EndBadGovernance protesters whose hearing is set to commence on Wednesday, January 29.

 

The protesters were arraigned on charges of treason which carries the death penalty following their arrest between August 5 and September 1 2024 in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protest which broke out across the country in reaction to the cost of living crisis provoked by the Tinubu’s economic policies.

 

The protesters are; Comrade Adaramoye Micheal Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Daniel Akande, Angel Love Innocent, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Buhari Lawal, Bashir Bello, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Eleojo Simon, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu.

 

They were set to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, January 29 in a trial the activists describe as a sham.

 

They asked Tinubu to halt the trial, stressing that protest is a fundamental right of citizens in a democracy. Besides, the activists say the defendants would not likely get a fair hearing in the trial that the government is eager to use as deterrence against future protests.

 

 

At a world press conference in Lagos on January 27, the activists under the aegis of Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), warned that protests should not be criminalized and that the federal government should expect more protests and demonstrations except it genuinely address the concerns of citizens as demanded by the #EndBadGovernance group.

 

Some of the notable activists present at the briefing included: Comrades Gideon Adeyeni, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Zikora Ibeh, Francis Nwapa, Blessing Osugba, and Akanmu-Adeoye among others.

 

In a statement signed by Comrade Francis Nwapa, YRC National Secretary, the group urged Nigerians to prevail on Tinubu to end his agents from sentencing peaceful protesters to death just because they dared to complain about hunger and hardship.

 

The statement reads in part: “Less than 72 hours from now, specifically on Wednesday January 29, 11 #EndBadGovernance activists, including a woman Angel Love Innocent, are due to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja where their trial for treason, mutiny and terrorism will commence in full swing.

 

“According to Nigeria’s laws, treason is punishable by death. This means if found guilty, these noble men and woman whose only crime is their courageous participation in a peaceful protest in August last year against hunger and poverty caused by President Tinubu’s neo-liberal policies face the possibility of being sentenced to be shot at a firing squad or hanged by their neck until they die.

 

“Now some are likely to think that maybe, we are being caught up in a flight of fancy or our imagination is running wild. In reality however, this would not be the first time that the Nigerian capitalist state would sentence activists and peaceful protesters to death and carry out the sentence.

 

“Three decades ago, Ken Saro-Wiwa (a writer and environmental activist) and eight other leaders of the Ogoni people in Rivers State were also sentenced to death by a military tribunal under the ignoble Abacha military junta for peacefully campaigning against the destructive activities of Shell in the Niger Delta.

 

“Interestingly, Ken Saro Wiwa stood for a non-violent form of struggle and resistance. Yet this did not stop the Abacha regime from carrying out this brutal sentence. On the night of November 10, 1995, the Nigerian state shocked the entire world when it hanged each of the activists including late Ken Saro-Wiwa.

 

“Our fear is Wednesday January 29 would be the first time they would be showing up in court after they were released on bail.

 

“To be clear, Michel Lenin and others have no fear of appearing before a court of competent jurisdiction to prove their innocence of the false, absurd and trumped up charges made up by the Nigerian Police and the National Intelligence Agency against them in a bid to paint the protest as the handiwork of Russia whereas it was simply the uprising of a people fed up by hunger and poverty.

 

“However, we have every reason to fear that they would not receive fair trial unless the judiciary manages to surmount political interference to ensure fairness, probity and justice.

 

“Don’t forget that it took a global public outcry for the 114 malnourished and sick minors arraigned by the police on the same charges on Friday 1st November last year to be freed.

 

“Despite the obvious desecration of the court that day, the presiding Judge continued with the proceeding as if all was well and even had the presence of mind to commit the minors to prison detention.

 

“Even though the President caved in to public outcry and directed the charges against the minors to be dismissed, up till now, the Police authorities have not been sanctioned for this ignoble conduct and they have continued to defend their actions up till now.

 

“For example, when Amnesty International issued a report late last year detailing the atrocities of the police authorities during the protest including the extra-judicial killing of at least 24 people, many of who were not protesters, we are all witnesses to how the police have tried to harass and bully the rights group in order to silence the truth.

 

“This report by Amnesty International has direct relevance to the case against the Abuja 11 because it provides incontrovertible evidence including victims testimonies that shows that while the police tried to paint the Abuja 11 as violent protest organisers out to cause mayhem in the country, those who are actually guilty of egregious violence, extrajudicial murder of Nigerian citizens and conduct likely to breach public peace are the Inspector General of Police and his men in the Nigeria Police Force.

 

“Right now the police have issued an ultimatum to Amnesty international to issue a public retraction and apology over the publication. Meanwhile, the findings of Amnesty International is supported by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) – a body that is a product of an Act of the National Assembly.

 

“What is alarming is that while all this is going on, President Tinubu has kept a studious silence suggesting that he is not miffed by the conduct of the Police authorities in trying to suppress the truth of the repression of the #Endbadgovernance protest.

 

“So, these are the bases for our fear that the 11 activists may not receive a fair trial.

 

“Rather we fear that the trial, just like the military tribunal that sentenced Saro Wiwa and Co 30 years ago, already has a conclusion it is working towards.

 

“However, should the judiciary regain the courage to be fair and just, then it should not be difficult for honorable Justice Emeka Nwite to see that the case against the 11 #Endbadgovernance activists is an absurd, false and trumped-up contrivance by a despotic regime all out to punish activists for daring to speak up against the prevailing crisis of hunger and hardship caused by its anti-poor policies.

 

“When critically evaluated, the charges against the Abuja 11 are ridiculous as the proof of evidence is inadequate to sustain the charges against them.

 

“For instance, Adaramoye Micheal was arrested only because he happens to go by the nickname “Lenin” which is Russian. Lenin is the name of Vladimir Ilich, the leader of the Socialist revolution in Russia in October 1917. Being a Socialist and a member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM),

 

“Adaramoye Michael Lenin adopted this name as his nickname in line with the tradition in the students and activists’ movement in Nigeria.

 

“Michael has no relationship whatsoever with the Russian dictator, Putin, whose vicious capitalist regime is an antithesis of the aims of the Russian Socialist revolution of 1917.

 

“According to the charge sheets against the 11 defendants, the proof of evidence to sustain the 6 count charge against them are the following: (1) Statement of the defendants, (2) Telephone of the suspects (3) Forensic analysis of the telephones of the suspects and call data (4) Videos CD/DVD of the riot/inciting disturbance, (5) Books/Placards, pamphlets recovered (6) Photographs of properties looted and some destroyed, (7) CD/DVD/flash drive of government and other properties looted/destroyed, (8) Telephone call logs and handsets, (9) CAC documents and other documents, (10) Any other relevant exhibits.

 

“For a group of defendants who are being tried for grievous offenses ranging from treason to mutiny, and intent to destabilize and levy war against Nigeria, you would have expected that the government would have been able to provide more convincing and incriminating evidence to prove its case like weapons and other indicators.

 

“But the truth of the matter is that the charges against the 11 protesters, just as the charges against the 114 including the children who were discharged in November last year, are trumped up and false charges.

 

“There is no iota of truth to these charges which the Amnesty International has rightly described as a sham trial.”

 

YRC urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), civil society organizations, youth groups, students unions, Non-Governmental organizations, professional associations and all human right groups, progressive organizations and people of good conscience to join its crusade to call on President Tinubu to do the following:

 

“Halt the sham trial and withdraw charges against Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Daniel Akande, Angel Love Innocent, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Buhari Lawal, Bashir Bello, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Eleojo Simon, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu as well as all other peaceful protesters and activists in detention and on trial nationwide.

 

“”Order the Nigerian police to release the mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets seized from the defendants. Some of the defendants like Mosiu Sodiq who is a graphic designer and printer, depend on these gadgets for their individual businesses and sources of livelihood.  The police have no reason to continue to hold on to these devices after releasing the defendants on bail.

 

“Halt the harassment of Amnesty International.

 

“Sack of the Inspector General of Police and other officers responsible for illegal arrest, detention, ill-treatment and unlawful killing of protesters and order acts of willful violation of the rights of the Nigerian people. For a democratically-constituted and independent panel of inquiry into the August 2024 #Endbadgovernance protest.

 

“End Attacks on Democratic Rights and Free Press. No to Descent into Civilian Dictatorship

 

“Halt the sham trial of Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky), Nurse Thomas Abiodun and all victims of repression by the capitalist bosses and the Nigerian state.

 

“Meet the demands of the August 1-10 2024 protest especially regarding the reversal of fuel price hike, electricity tariff hike, hike in food prices as well as all anti-poor policies. Without meeting these demands, President Tinubu should continue to expect to see more protests and demonstrations by the Nigerian people.”