Security operatives take over Unity Fountain as activists protest Sowore’s detention
Civil society groups and activists on Wednesday gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to demand for the release of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general election and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omowole Sowore.
This is just as truckloads of security operatives comprising of military men, the police, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officers of Nigerian Prison Service besieged the protesters.
In spite of the barrage of security operatives at the Abuja Unity Fountain, the activists still demonstrated, demanding for the immediate release of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience.”
The protesters led by Deji Adeyanju, the convener of Concerned Nigerians, said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has continued to imprison Nigerians who dared to criticise his ‘’maladministration and has no deference for divergent opinion.”
Adeyanju, who vowed that the proponents of #FreeSowore protest will never be cowed by Federal Government’s battalion of security operatives, also stated that Buhari pretended that he was a repentant democrat, just because he wanted to steal the confidence and votes of Nigerians.
He said that both Sowore, Dadi Yata, Jones Abiri, Steven Kefas and other social and media critics who have been held by this present administration as prisoners of conscience, represent uncountable numbers of Nigerians who are victims of maladministration of the Buhari-led government in Nigeria.
He said that even if Buhari withdraws all the security operatives deployed to fight insurgency in the North East and other parts of the country to stop the #FreeSowore activists, the protest would not stop.
Another activist, Raphael Adebayo said that even if Buhari should arrest more of Sowores, one million more would arise to fight his dictatorial policies, meant to muzzle the people’s freedom.
Adebayo stated that the protest is not just for the freedom of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience,” but for the soul of Nigeria, which the present government wants to stampede at all cost.
Sowore, who is also the publisher of SaharaReporters, was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) two weeks ago after he vowed to mobilise Nigerians to the streets for the #RevolutionNow protest.
