A former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara has called on the Nigerian police to release all protesters arrested during Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow peaceful rally in Abuja.
According to him, security operatives were wrong to have fired teargas at peaceful protesters.
Wabara also frowned at the alleged manhandling of a journalist covering the protest whose camera was reportedly broken by some overzealous security operatives.
Describing the intimidation and arrest of peaceful protesters as “a serious dent on Nigeria’s global image”, Senator Wabara urged President Ahmed Tinubu to call the security agencies to order.
According to the former Senate President, the arrest of Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and lawyer, Chief Aloy Ejimakor; among others, will only aggravate the already tensed situation in the South East.
Senator Wabara who argued that “it is the fundamental right of citizens to hold peaceful protest”, said the police are required to provide protection for protesters, and not to clamp down on them.
Citing the ongoing ‘No King Protest’ involving about 7 million people in the United States of America, “where there are no incidents of molestation or brutality”, Senator Wabara challenged the Nigeria security operatives to learn from their US counterparts.
The former Senate President accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC-led, federal government which he said, “is a product of protests”, of using intimidation and brute force against dissenting voices.
He queried: Why is the APC that came to power through protests suddenly scared of protests ? Muzzling dissenting voices and that opposition is a prelude to dictatorship. This is certainly not the democracy we yearned for.
“The scars of#EndSARS will always remain a sad memorial for the APC which exploited propaganda and protests to oust the PDP in 2015”, Wabara added.
Senator Wabara who is the Chairman Board of Trustees, BoT, of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, regretted that “Nigeria under the watch of the APC, is fast sliding into dictatorship”.
He advised President Tinubu to, as a father of the nation, consider the growing appeals for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, “to reduce tension and restore peace in the South East region.”
According to him, if the President could pardon some convicted criminals and fraudsters, there is nothing wrong in extending similar gesture to Nnamdi Kanu.
Senator Wabara further argued that the continued release of repentant terrorists and negotiations with armed bandits, had made Kanu’s unconditional release more compelling.
He advised President Tinubu to rather engage the protesters and look for a way to politically resolve the Kanu equation instead of holding him behind the bars in perpetuity.
Senator Wabara who had earlier declared support for the protest, commended the protesters for their peaceful comportment despite provocations, urging them to remain law -abiding.
He particularly commended Rights Activist, Omoleye Sowore, and other leaders of the protest for their courage to stand up against injustice.
The former Senate President urged Nigerians to be united against bare-faced injustice, disregard for the rule of law, and rascality of the ruling class, insisting that every section of the country deserves fair treatment.
