Amnesty International, a global rights watchdog, has sounded the alarm over reports of the arrest of some activists protesting insecurity in the northern part of the country.
In a statement on its social media page, the global watchdog condemned the arrest reported by the operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, in Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zaria.
The statement read: “Amnesty International received alarming reports from Bauchi, Katsina Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zaria of arrests and repression by the police and DSS of peaceful protests against rampant insecurity in northern Nigeria.
“We call on the Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those detained for exercising the right to freedom of assembly. DSS should stop using “invites” to intimidate protest organizers.
“The protesters have done nothing but defend responsibility. The arrests appear to be an attempt to intimidate and harass those who refused to remain silent due to the government’s inability to protect lives. “
Meanwhile, DAILY NIGERIAN picked up that one of the convenors of the protest in Kano, Bar. Abba Hikima is said to have been questioned at the SSS office before he was later released.
Our correspondent in Kano learned that in the early hours of Wednesday, combat-ready security agents, including the police, SSS and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense, NSCDC, personnel were deployed to disperse the protesters.
But the protesters, some 60, refused to succumb and insisted that holding a peaceful protest is part of their constitutional right as Nigerians.
After an agreement with the security agents, the protesters went ahead to march towards the door of the NUJ Secretariat where they read their statement.
Upon reading the statement, one of the leaders of the protesters, Jamilu Charanchi, who is the Northwest Coordinator, Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, asked the Federal Government to rescind its decision to increase the price of fuel, address insecurity and resolve the problem of inflation in the country.
The group said: “That the excuses adduced by the Federal Government and its cronies under the pretext of eliminating the subsidy and the promise of a palliative of N5,000 to 40 million Nigerians are unfounded, unjustified, false, impractical, ill-intentioned lies. and unacceptable. disgusting.
“The current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the 36 state governors have totally failed in the main areas of providing security to the lives and property of citizens and ensuring a safe economic environment in the North in particular.
“That the problems and sufferings in the North today without being compounded by a further increase in commodity prices and mobility are attributable solely to inept and callous leadership at the national and state level, as well as the cowardice of other community and religious leaders who lack the courage to confront them in the interests of the people of the region and of Nigeria, ”stated the coalition.
Also speaking, another protest leader, Barr Abba Hikima, called for the continued bloodshed in the north to stop, insisting that security personnel must be properly armed to confront the bandits.
