The invasion of Sunday Igboho’s house was draconian and condemnable

SPN calls for a sovereign national conference that will be dominated by elected representatives of the working people and youth to determine the way forward for Nigeria

We of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) hold that the invasion of Mr Sunday Igboho’s house in the dead of the night by men of DSS was draconian and condemnable regardless of the allegation of illegal possession of arms levelled against him.

From the benefits of hindsight following the invasion, arrest and detention of the followers of Mr Sunday Igboho, there was no proof that the DSS had a competent court order or warrant to arrest or declare Igboho wanted. All what DSS were out to do was to arrest him as part of repressive measures against legitimate agitation for self-determination.

We of the SPN note that there were no prior attempts by the DSS to invite him for interrogation over any allegations. However, even if this had been done by the DSS, it was not enough reason for the invasion of Igboho’s house especially when the operation was carried out in the dead of the night. It is not impossible that it was this gestapo like invasion that triggered the reported gun duel between the operatives of DSS and Sunday Igboho supporters apparently in self-defence, something that reportedly led to the loss of two lives.

This kind of invasion is no doubt a huge threat to the civil rule and the limited democratic rights it provides for the citizens. Sadly, it is now becoming an ugly trend in the country including Oyo State.

For instance, a few days ago a small village called Ajaowa in Oyo State was equally invaded by the operatives of DSS also in the dead of the night. It should be also recalled that before this time there were several reports of armed custom officers invading popular Bodija and Oja Oba markets in Ibadan, breaking into shops and reportedly went away goods, including money, under the pretext of looking for smuggled goods.

It is this kind of strong arm approach by the Buhari government that has further fueled the growing agitation for self-determination and secession ravaging the country at this present time.

Increasingly the Buhari government is tending to attempt to rule by decree as seen in the President’s unilateral decision to ban Twitter; the President’s order to the Police to simply shoot persons purportedly found illegally with AK-47s or the bad precedent of the seizure of Kanu and his rendition back to Nigeria without any due legal process in the country in which he was found.

Already a growing number of people of Yoruba extraction have begun to draw a conclusion, from the killing of two of the Igboho supporters including the arrest and continued detention of some of its followers, which portrays the Buhari-led government as a regime trying to undermine other ethnic groups specifically Yoruba and Igbo in favour of Fulani ethnic group. The fact is that the government lacks moral authority to go after elements like Igboho under the guise of illegal possession of firearms when it has not been able to rein in armed bandits who kidnap and kill ordinary people.

We of the SPN support the right to self-determination up to secession if it is the democratic decision of any ethnic nationality. So we support the call for referendum wherever there is a strident agitation for separation.

However, we hold that any separation on the basis of the iniquitous capitalist system cannot bring any fundamental change in social and economic conditions of the working people and the poor.

We therefore call for a sovereign national conference that will be dominated by elected representatives of the working people and youth to determine the way forward for Nigeria. The socialists at such a conference will argue for a new Nigeria on a socialist basis in order not only to resolve the national question but also use the resources of the country for the benefits of the vast majority, not for satisfying the greed of a few as presently obtains.

Abiodun Bamigboye                                                                Chinedu Bosah

Acting National Chairperson                                                  National Secretary

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.socialistpartyofnigeria.org.ng