By Akinwale Kasali
Dele Farotimi, activist and Lawyer has condemned the attack on protesters who demanded the release of Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, by Armed Military Personnel who fired teargas and live ammunition to disperse protesters in Abuja.
The Civil Rights Advocate further criticised the Nigerian Police and the Judiciary for their handling of peaceful protests. He said their actions show that Nigeria is only pretending it has democracy.
Farotimi made said this on a Channels Television’s programme, The Morning Brief Tuesday.
He argued that the suppression of protests and court restrictions on citizens’ rights to assemble freely are clear signs that the country has strayed from democratic norms.
Farotimi, “In a democracy, there should never be a need for a police permit before you may have a protest. The police were informed so that they would provide security.
“That a court would presume to curtail the right of citizens to protest peacefully in a democracy is even suggestive of the fact that we’re not in a democracy. We’re only mimicking and pretending to be in one.”
It would be recalled that the protesters led by Omoyele Sowore, activist and former Presidential Candidate defied a court order and police warnings as and marched with placards and chanted slogans before security operatives dispersed them with tear gas.
Farotimi described the idea of citizens needing police permission to protest as “completely unheard of” in a democracy.
According to him, the police are public servants, not gatekeepers of citizens’ rights.
“It is ridiculous that citizens would need permission from their paid employees before they can congregate peacefully,” he said.
He further faulted the Judiciary and accused it of losing its independence and serving the interests of the executive.
“I’m sorry to say our Judiciary is unfit for purpose. It does exactly as it is told by the Executive and does not serve the cause of justice,” he said, adding that “an order is only as useful as its lawfulness.”
He, however, maintained that only those who engage in violence should face arrest during protests, not peaceful demonstrators.
He recalled his own experience of being prosecuted under a “non-existent law,” which he said illustrated the dysfunction within Nigeria’s legal system.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
