Human rights lawyer T.N. Abdulsalam has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the continuous delay of detaining ‘EndBadGovernance’ protesters without trial.
Abdulsalam in a statement on Thursday, called on President Tinubu to release the detainees, stressing that the detained protesters should not be punished for exercising their constitutional rights.
While questioning why bandits and kidnappers are allowed to roam free whereas peaceful protesters are detained, the right lawyer expressed worry over Tinubu government’s priorities.
Highlighting the government’s failure to address security challenges, Abdulsalam cited the recent killing of the district head of Gatawa in Sokoto State by bandits.
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The lawyer who also accused Tinubu of hypocrisy, given his past as a pro-democracy activist, warned that the President’s actions might lead to a fascist state, emphasizing that Nigerians will resist any attempt to undermine democracy.
Instead of suppressing peaceful protests, Abdulsalam stressed the need for President Tinubu to focus on addressing hunger, insecurity, and other pressing issues.
He equally called for the renovation and expansion of prisons, suggesting that the government’s current approach will lead to more Nigerians being jailed.
He said: “The President should confront the security challenges and hunger besetting Nigerians. Those who should be in prison are the political class trafficking in Nigerians’ misery.
“We have a situation where bandits like Bello Turji and others openly threaten Nigerians and deny them access to their farms, yet the government does nothing to curtail them, while they kill and detain harmless protesters.
“Recently, bandits kidnapped and brutally killed the district head of Gatawa in Sokoto State, and the Federal Government could not do anything to rescue him.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should build more prisons and renovate the existing ones because he will have to jail all Nigerians as time goes on.
“The National Assembly and Judiciary have been pocketed, but Nigerians will resist any attempt to turn Nigeria into a fascist state.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reminds me of the ancient book written by George Orwell, Animal Farm, where the animals that led a revolution against an oppressive government eventually became worse oppressors.
“It is unfortunate that he can oppose civil liberties, from which he benefited in the days of the military.
“I want to call on him to immediately release the #EndBadGovernance protesters and focus on issues of security and hunger besetting Nigerians.”
