The Coalition for Revolution has demanded the immediate release of 10 Nigerian activists arrested in Iree, Osun State, during a community sensitisation on the need for massive resistance of fuel pump price hike and other anti-poor policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
CORE in a statement by its Co-conveners, Baba Aye and Gbenga Komolafe, said the arrest was a gross violation of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression and movement.
The statement reads, “Ten CORE activists have been arrested at 2:19pm today, 4th September, at Iree, Osun state. Their names are: Owoeye Olaoluwa, Osungbaro Adeoti, Oguntola Sunday, Omolola Pedro, Abraham Omowunmi, Akande Michael, Sunmbade Tunde, Akinbobola Jumoke Vivian, Luke tega and Emmanuel Samuel. They were carrying out community sensitization on the need for massive resistance of the fuel pump price hike and other anti-poor policies of the regime. We demand their immediate release.
“Their phones have been seized by Mr C. O. Egbonmonrati, the Iree Divisional Police Officer (DPO), after dehumanizing treatment was meted out to them. Before we lost contact with them, we gathered the police was in the process of transferring them to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters at Osogbo, the state capital. They are activists and not criminals. For standing up against the regime’s crass insensitivity, brazen repression and continued worsening of the living and working conditions of the poor masses, they are heroes and not villains.
“The villains are the vagabonds in power as federal, state and local government officials and in the boardrooms of corporations robbing us of our natural resources and fruits of our labour, without paying their fair share of taxes. Such attempts at suppression like this will not stop their day of judgment. The Coalition for Revolution (CORE) is committed to struggle for system change. We will continue to organise and mobilise, working with organisations of the working-class and radical civil society to achieve our common goal of a better society.
“We reiterate once again that the arrested comrades must be immediately and unconditionally released. Their arrest is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression and movement. We call on organisations and well-meaning persons to express our shared anger at this unacceptable repressive step and call for their release by inundating the state commissioner of police Mr Mr J.B. Kokumo, with calls and text messages: +2348033438900.”
