Former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has slammed to Nigeria Police Force over the arrest of publisher Omoyele Sowore; Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor; his brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu and 10 others who participated in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
Recall that Prince Emmanuel, the younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Ejimakor were arrested by the Police during the #FreeNnamdKanuNow protest organised by Sowore in Abuja.
While the duo and 10 other protesters were arrested on the protest ground on Monday, October 20, Sowore was picked up by the police during Kanu’s trial on Thursday, October 23.
Reacting to this, Atiku in a post made on X, said the action of the police and their personnel is not only shocking but disappointing.
Stating that he is, however, not surprised, Atiku said it is beyond his imagination that in 2025- decades after Nigeria defeated military rule – the present administration under the leadership of Bola Tinubu still treats dissent as a crime.
He said, “Disappointed because those in power today once thrived on protests. But not surprised, for Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him.
”Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law.
“The arrest of other peaceful protesters across the country only deepens the stain. Protest is not a crime; it is a constitutional right,” Atiku wrote.
The former vice president and presidential candidates for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore, Kanu’s lawyer and brother and every other person who participated in the peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja and other parts of the country.
”I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices. Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny,” Atiku said.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
