#EndBadGovernance: Onaiyekan, Transparency International Demand Release Of Detained Protesters

The Catholic Archbishop emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the Transparency International (Nigeria) have urged the Federal Government to immediately release protesters held between August 1 and 10, 2024 during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest

Also aligning himself with this position is the Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani who expressed concern over government’s continuous detention of the protesters without arraignment.

Cardinal Onaiyekan, while making a case for the immediate release of all detainees in Abuja on Thursday, yesterday, said the unarmed protesters are not the cause of Nigeria’s problems.

According to him; “It is not unarmed protesters who are the cause of our problems. Our president told us he is ready to dialogue with all those who are unhappy, but he needs to take the initiative now.

“Is this how to ask for dialogue? There is need to completely change our attitude. The people (protesters) were just ordinary young people who are hungry.

‘’The only way to show that you feel our pain is to do things that will relieve the suffering and pain of the people. That is what the government is there for.”

Urging Government to embrace dialogue in sorting out critical issues concerning national development, the respected Clergy said; “When we talk about youth nowadays, we are not talking about small boys or girls, we are talking about people who are 35 and below.

“Most of them have graduated, and most of them have skills. This group of people cannot be ignored by Government and those holding leadership positions in the country today.”

Catholic Archbishop emeritus spoke against the backdrop of information that of the 2,111 protesters arrested during the protests, 1,403 are being remanded in prisons across the country.

Also reports indicated that there has been two failed attempts by the Police to arraign them at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his reaction, Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Said it is unfortunate that some people not involved in the protests were arrested while even some patients in hospitals also became targets of the security agencies.

Expressing concern over the protesters’ continuous detention without arraignment, Rafsanjani urged government to either prosecute or release the detainees without further delay.

He alleged that keeping the protesters in perpetual detention could also be a means of siphoning public funds into private pockets, adding; “It is very sad that the government, which makes laws for citizens to comply with, is the one breaking the law.

“The government has not complied with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Additionally, we have noted that some people who were not even part of the #EndBadGovernance protests were arrested.

“To worsen matters, some people who were in the hospital were arrested in the name of pursuing protesters. In Katsina, security agencies allegedly went to the hospital, threw tear-gas canisters and killed some patients.

“We don’t know what the government aims to achieve by dehumanizing and incriminating its citizens at all costs.

“Meanwhile, the military and police are being terrorized by terrorists. Instead of harnessing their efforts and resources to tackle insecurity in the country, they are busy chasing people who are complaining of suffering in the hands of wicked public officials and non-state actors.”

For Rafsanjani; “The government should either prosecute or release the detained protesters”, even as he alleged that “Detaining them could even be another way of siphoning public funds in the name of feeding the detainees.”