NLC demands release of Sowore, other protesters

By Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the publisher of Sahara Reporters who doubles as the convener of RevolutionaNow protest, Omoyele Sowore and other protesters who were arrested on Monday by security agencies during a peaceful protest demanding for good governance.

This was contained in a statement signed by the NLC General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson and made available to Daily Times.

Labour condemned the attacks and arrests of peaceful protesters by security agencies and military personnel, admonishing security agencies against being portrayed as “anti-democracy forces as the Monday attacks so clearly demonstrated.”

While describing peaceful protests against bad governance or perceived anti-people government policies as one of the critical fundamental rights that expands the entrenchment and growth of democracy, the NLC maintained that Sowore is one out of several Nigerians demanding for good governance being the minimum demand citizens can make from a government they democratically elected.

“It is with deep consternation that we view the attacks and arrests of peaceful protesters in some parts of the country by security agencies and military personnel on Monday during a protest by some Nigerians in Lagos, Osogbo, Ibadan, Abuja and other cities.

“There is nowhere in our constitution or laws that the security agencies are empowered to so brazenly attack peaceful protests and hound its organisers into detention as the right to peaceful protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the constitution under sections 39 and 40.

“We view the violent attacks on the peaceful protesters by security forces as a total violation of the fundamental rights of not just the protesters, but all Nigerian citizens as guaranteed by the constitution as well as various reported judgements of our courts.

“We also view the midnight arrest of one of the organisers of the protests, Omoyele Sowore as an affront on his fundamental rights as well as our collective rights to freedom of expression and association as enshrined in all the international and national instruments that strengthens democracy,” labour asserted.

Furthermore, he maintained that the continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) lacks any justification as his actions were not in any way a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria, nor the democratically constituted government of Nigeria.

“Sowore and other protesters were not carrying arms against the state and we therefore, demand their immediate release unconditionally,” the NLC statement demanded.

Labour expressed concerns that soldiers who have no role whatsoever in the management of civil protests were deployed to attack protesters, especially in Lagos and appealed to the federal government to call them to order.