There is no reasonable justification for the Federal Government to continue detaining Nigerians in police or prison custody for participating in any protest, whether it be the #EndSARS event of October 2020, the #EndBadGovernance protests of August 2024, or any other demonstrations.
Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) guarantee freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Participants in protests are exercising their rights to come together and express their grievances to the public and, especially, to the government.
In both of these recent instances, the motivations for protest stemmed from police brutality that has dehumanized ordinary citizens and the harsh economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which have imposed severe hardship, hunger, and misery on the majority of Nigerians. Protesting is a constitutional, democratic, and legitimate means of informing authorities about the feelings of the citizens on whose behalf elected and appointed officials wield power.
While it may be necessary for law enforcement agencies to detain protesters under certain circumstances, such detentions should not extend beyond a few hours or days.
Similar to its predecessor, the Tinubu government alleges that the protesters are advocating for an unconstitutional “regime change.” They cite messages on placards and the fact that, in some northern regions, protesters carried Russian flags—an act interpreted as an invitation for the military to seize power, as seen in neighboring Niger Republic.
Moreover, there have been riots in the North where government property and private businesses were looted or destroyed.
Law enforcement agencies must professionally profile detainees and distinguish between genuine protesters and vandals, rioters, or alleged regime change agitators. It is crucial to recognize that many of those accused of regime change efforts may have been funded by disgruntled members of the political elite, while many rioters were simply pawns in a larger scheme.
We want to see the true sponsors of criminality in our society—those responsible for terrorism, banditry, ethnic profiling, and violent protests—held accountable. These individuals are the real enemies of the government and the nation. Pursuing minor offenders while allowing the true culprits to remain untouched is an act of cowardice.
This approach resembles the tactics of bullies and only serves to reinforce the perception that young people are being targeted to intimidate or suppress the populace into relinquishing their rights.
You cannot beat a child and expect them not to cry. President Tinubu, during his time as an opposition leader, participated in protests against both military and civilian regimes and takes pride in his self-identification as a “democrat.” Before the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power in 2015, protesters were rarely held for more than a few hours in police custody, and media practitioners were not harassed since 1999.