AJEGUNLE KILLINGS: DAGGA TOLAR AND TWO OTHER ACTIVISTS RELEASED BY THE POLICE

OTHERS STILL IN POLICE CUSTODY; FOR AN INDEPENDENT PROBE PANEL

DSM Statement, 9 April 2010

Segun Sango, General Secretary, Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM)

The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) commends the media, trade union activists locally and internationally, organizations and individuals in LASCO, student and youth members of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), activists across the federation and the general public whose protests and pressure forced the police to release Dagga Tolar, Lagos State Secretary of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and a member of DSM; Aderemi Ismail, community activist and a member of DSM and Akpos Okoro also a community activists. We especially thank the members of Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI), an international socialist organization to which DSM is affiliated, who intervened through phone calls and e-mails to the police authorities and Nigerian embassies.

Apart from these 3 activists, the police have also released a good number of youths arrested since the April 3 protest march in Ajegunle. But there are still others remained illegally in their custody.

The activists were arrested on Wednesday April 7, 2010 at the meeting initiated by Mr. Kamal Bayewu, the Ajeromi Local Government Chairman, at about 1pm and released at about 9pm after being detained at the Panti Police station Yaba.

Their arrests were in connection with the mass protest of youths on Saturday April 3, 2010, which recorded killings of at least 4 youths including Tunde Olotu, by the policemen who shot at protesters. The mass protest had been held following the gruesome murder Charles Okoroafor on Thursday April 1, 2010, at a football viewing centre, by the police during one of their usual illegal raids in Ajegunle.

The Lagos police authorities which initially lied that Charles had died of natural causes, have now admitted that policemen actually killed him. They also claimed to have arrested and detained two officers, attached to the notorious Ajeromi Police Station, in connection to the killing.

However, we hold that the non-disclosure of the identity of these officers is a ploy to sweep the matter under the carpet. We therefore challenge the Police authorities to reveal the names of the officers and make public an updated report of their investigation.

We hereby re-iterate the demand of the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) for a probe panel made up of representatives of trade unionists, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), NGOs, and community organizations in Ajegunle to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of Charles Okoroafor, Tunde Olotu and others.

We also call on the Lagos state House of Assembly to make good the promise made on its behalf by the majority leader, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, that the legislature will investigate the killing of youths in Ajegunle by the police. We hope that this is not a momentary political statement but will be concretely pursed to ensure justice for the bereaved families and the residents of Ajegunle who have been subjected to daily police brutality for over 2 decades.

We demand the immediate release of Mr. Benson and others still incarcerated at the Panti Police Station in relation with the protest; an immediate compensation to the families of Charles Okoroafor, Tunde Olotu; an immediate end to all repression and brutality in Ajegunle and other communities in Nigeria.