A coalition of over 70 labour and civil society organisations known as Alliance for Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, has condemned the attacks launched on peaceful RevolutionNow protesters by security agencies in parts of Nigeria on Wednesday.
The coalition said the protests were legitimate and sum up an outburst of anger against the increasingly intolerant Nigerian state.
The coalition said the arrest of scores of the protesters by security agents violates fundamental human rights as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
“The arrests violate the constitution of Nigeria since avery citizen has the right to peaceful assembly. The protesters did not break any known law. What they did was to expreas their democratic rights as aggrieved citizens” ASCAB National Chairman, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), a foremost human rights lawyer, said.
Falana praised the protesters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner without resorting to violence.
He added, “We saw young men and women coming out to protest against injustice. This is in line with democratic tradition anywhere in the world. The arrests and violent attacks on the protesters represent a grievous violation of the constitution that the security operatives should uphold and defend.”
He called for the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters, saying any attempt to continue to detain them has legal implications for the Nigerian Government.
