Civil society groups in Lagos have demanded the release of Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, who was arrested at his home by officials of the State Security Service early Saturday morning.
In separate statements issued on Saturday, the groups said the arrest of Mr Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the last general elections, is a violation of his fundamental rights.
“The President must be called to order by the National Assembly and he must know that this is a democratic government, not a military government,” said Alex Omotehinse, chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.
“When Jonathan was president in this country Buhari himself had led a protest against Jonathan government, Buhari had insulted and accused several sitting presidents in this country for misgovernance and he was not prevented or arrested for exercising his constitutional right.”
Armed officials believed to be personnel of the SSS took Mr Sowore into custody allegedly over #RevolutionNow, a series of planned protests against bad governance in Nigeria scheduled for August 5.
A witness, who identified himself as Mr Sowore’s driver, said the officers left in a manner typical of deadly kidnappers.
Lagos-based human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, called for Mr Sowore’s immediate release, saying a call for revolution “is not treasonable under any guise.”
On Saturday, organisers of #RevolutionNow said the protest would go on despite Mr Sowore’s arrest.
The Coalition for Revolution (CORE) and the #RevolutionNow National Action Committee responsible for organising the ‘Days of Rage’ said on Saturday that they are working to organise a legal intervention to secure Mr Sowore’s immediate release.
“The DSS (as the SSS is also known) has not made known the reason for this Nazi-like assault on the fundamental human rights of Comrade Sowore,” the groups said in a statement.
”We are convinced however that it is in connection with the Days of Rage programme commencing on August 5. We take this opportunity to assure the oppressors of the Nigerian people that we shall not back down from our struggle. The Days of Rage protests starting on August 5 shall proceed, with or without the release of Sowore.”
According to Mr Omotehinse, the current government has failed to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians, especially the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and herdsmen killings and kidnappings across the country.
”Buhari and his DSS did not deem it fit to address that, but they are most concerned about innocent citizens that are complaining,” he said.
”In an ideal society, Buhari ought to have resigned as president for his government has failed to provide adequate security for Nigerians. We hereby call on the leadership of the National Assembly to call this President Buhari who has turned himself to a civilian dictator to order the release of Omoyele Sowore unconditionally.”
(NAN)
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