18th September, 2019
Armed policemen on Wednesday disrupted a planned protest organized by human rights groups to call for the release of Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and other detainees.
P.M.News learnt that the policemen stormed the office of Sahara Reporters located at Isaac John, GRA in Ikeja demanding for the staff members of the media.
The police also laid siege to the office of human rights group, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, in Ikeja, Lagos.
Our correspondent gathered that the police arrived at the CDHR office as early as 7:00 a.m to prevent the protest scheduled for 10:00 a.m from being held.
According to a CDHR official, the police took over the security post of the building and stationed about eight of their vehicles at the premises.
“They have been here as early as 7 a.m. They came inside the compound and took over the security post. They did not harass anybody but the presence of police armed with guns has affected those that are even doing their legitimate work in the building, like Oriflame. Oriflame and other business outlets can even sue them. It is intimidating,” the CDHR official said.
“The planned protest today is just to distribute leaflets marking the 45 days of Sowore in detention and to sensitize our people to call on the government to release him and others. Unfortunately, they’re not even allowing to let that happen.”
“The government is sitting on a keg of gunpowder now. People are angry, people are suffering and any chance they get to protest, they will come out en masse. If there was a rally today, our people will be asking questions about many issues that have died down like Babachir Lawal, Ikoyi money and others.”
“We are actually going back to that military era that you will be arrested for speaking up, even critics are being arrested now. Agbo Jalingo was arrested because of criticism of Ben Ayade’s government,” he added.
The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore is still in the custody of the Department of State Service following his arrest at a Lagos hotel in August.
He has been charged with treason and plot to destabilise the government after calling for a protest tagged #RevolutionNow.