Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

RELEASE ALL ARRESTED YOUTHS WHO PARTICIPATED IN MEMORIAL WALK IN HONOUR OF OCTOBER 20TH FALLEN HEROES!

DROP ALL CHARGES

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) condemns the arrest on Saturday 20 February 2021 and continuous detention of youths who participated at the 120 days memorial procession of the Lekki toll plaza shooting for more than 48hours.

It will be recalled that youths on Saturday 20th February 2021, organized a peaceful procession in Lagos to honour the fallen heroes of the Lekki Toll plaza who were gruesomely murdered and brutally maimed by men of the Nigeria Army and SARS operatives during the #EndSars Protest. The arrested youths includes; Victoria Oniru, Tokunbo, Leon, Tunde Abass, Omolara Alagbala, Adekunle.

They were arrested while on peaceful procession by men of the Nigeria Police attached to Maroko Police station and taken to Adeniji Police station and from there moved to Panti Police station, Yaba, and have since then remained in detention.

We are also aware that they are likely to be arraigned in court today on trumped-up charges. We deplore this attempt to criminalize protest and insist that protest is an inalienable human right. We demand that all charges against them be dropped now.

This is coming a week after the arrest and brutal torture of 40 youths who were gathering for a peaceful protest against the reopening of the Lekki toll plaza for business before the Judicial Panel had concluded its investigation into the October 20, 2020 killings.

The repression of the Sanwo-olu led Lagos State Government and the President Buhari-led Federal government against lawful assembly is becoming one too many. This repeated arbitrary arrest further confirms the transformation of the Buhari All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government into a civilian capitalist dictatorship.

We condemn this act of police and military repression of protest and demand an immediate and unconditional release of all arrested youths.

We call on the leadership of the NLC, TUC, pro-Labour organizations and Civil Society to condemn the heavy repression by the Buhari led Federal government and Sanwo-olu Lagos State Government to save the country from degenerating into full blown dictatorship due to suppression of all democratic rights by the regime.

Adaramoye Michael

National Coordinator

Francis Nwapa

National Secretary

Email: [email protected]