Governors caution protesters

GOVERNORS on Tuesday advised Nigerians to shun the pro-revolution protests slated for 21 cities.

Democracy remains the best option for this country, Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) Chairman and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu said.

He condemned the pro-revolution protests called by an activist group, the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy.

Bagudu spoke in Abuja as six persons, including a lawyer, were arraigned Tuesday before an Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for alleged treason.

They allegedly partook in the #RevolutionNow protests convened by the Omoyele Sowore-led coalition.

The police, who confirmed that their personnel would continue their vigil on the spots identified as possible protest venues, described the protests as ill-timed.

Also on Tuesday, the Department of State Services (DSS) approached an Abuja Federal High Court for an order to detain Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate in the February 23 presidential election, for 90 days.

Sowore, who is the publisher of an online newspaper, “SaharaReporters”, was arrested last Saturday by DSS operatives for making inciting statements.

Condemning the protests, Bagudu said: “Any call for disorder in a democratic setting is condemnable because democracy, as the saying goes, is not the best form of government, but it is the best that we have, because it gives opportunity periodically for the electorate to exercise their mandate in affirming or rejecting leaders.

“We have just come through a general election in march this year where Nigerians embraced the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and he has been elected for a second term with a little more votes than they have in 2015. Also, governors were elected in different states, a lot of them second termers and a number of them first termers.

“We have first termers defeating second termers and, in the case of one state, the Supreme Court exercising their rights as the highest court in the land to determine what should be and it is respected by the government.

“So, to celebrate the evolution of our democracy, we are progressing from one mandate to the other. In the last few years, Nigeria has faced economic downturn, which has been occasioned by changes in global economy.  In 2008, the world began to witness recession which affected many countries and in 2011, Nigeria had a wage increase, so you have economic downturn in the world and you have a wage increase, which is commendable but the effect of the two continue to hit hard and then in 2014, we also had another economic crisis.”

In his view, there are better ways of channeling grievances, instead of calling for a revolution.

The PGF chair said: “We have institutions that have been created to express discontent and once people take the law in their hands rather than expressing it through the right channel…” We all have representatives why don’t they go in front of the House or office of their representatives so that they can raise the point and demands to their representatives, whether councillor, House of Assembly or National Assembly members; but where people decide to take the law into their hands, other people whose peaceful conduct is being affected are entitled to be protected and to the extent that it involves authority showing restraint and that did not go out of hand, it is the proper thing to do.”

The governor also noted that there were pointers to the fact that the calls for the revolution were instigated from overseas.

Bagudu said: “Well developing countries have generally been worried about conspiracy from the Western world. Historically, Walter Rodney and others have always been worried about effect of foreign actors and; more so, we are not alone.

“There is still a raging debate in the United States (U.S.), which is more advanced than us, as to whether the Russians have influenced their election. We have seen the intrusion of the social media, which we don’t control. So, there is suspicion because of the way the world is evolving, one cannot dismiss such suspicion.

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“But what is even worrisome is that the response that you don’t see in other countries… As we speak, Greece has suspended payment to anybody who has money deposit in banks, but yet we don’t have people who are saying let us create a confusion. They will wait for election circle. That is the beauty of democracy.

“You will have the opportunity, particularly in Nigeria where we have seen it working, where people who are in office, who ought to be elected, have been defeated.”

Police spokesman Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), described the #RevolutionNow march as ill-timed.

He warned the protesters to shelve the idea, reminding them that the march has treasonable felony and acts of terrorism written all over it.

Speaking during a morning programme on television monitored in Abuja, Mba admitted that law enforcement was becoming challenging.

He said: “I can’t but agree with you that law enforcement has actually become increasingly challenging. The globalisation of the world as well as the strong impact of internet, ICT, social media and the rest of modern technology has made it more complicated and more challenging.

“For us, beyond the fact that this protest or movement started out as revolution march;  we also figured out that for people who are very sensitive to national unity, for those who are sensitive to peace and order, the timing is also suspect.

“We just came out of a situation in Abuja where there were back to back protests by a particular sect that led to massive damage of public property.

“An agency like National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that is statutorily charged with providing emergency relief; should there even be a protest and one of the protesters gets injured, NEMA is an agency that will attend to the protesters, but the violent protesters chose NEMA as a soft target and set ablaze its outpost and ambulance that could have been deployed to assist them, should any of them fall and that shows the senselessness of such protest.

“The protesters also attempted to forcefully invade the National Assembly. The parliament, for me, is actually the biggest and most visible symbol of democracy worldwide.

“Once you are able to squeeze the parliament out of existence, then there is no democracy and, in an attempt to do that, they damaged lots of property, attacked and injured so many law enforcement agencies.

“The peak was when an unarmed DCP, who tried to engage them, got killed. A Youth Corps member was also killed. We are still trying to get over these complications and then someone is calling for a revolution.”

Mba went on: “The timing is very poor. The use of the word ‘revolution’, the kind of statements that were issued subsequently, the threats and the intensity of the threats, these are all factors that we reviewed holistically, including other intelligence at our disposal, and so, these were the reasons why we initiated some of the proactive measures that we used.”

On how long Sowore would be in detention, Mba said: “You know clearly that the DSS said he is in their custody. So, I won’t be speaking for them, but I also know that they would proceed with this case expeditiously. I am sure that the DSS will not want to make him become the kind of celebrity he is craving to be and his matter will be dealt with expeditiously. I am sure they are working on that.”

Mba told The Nation that the Police  would continue their  core mandate of maintaining law and order, protecting public peace and infrastructure.

He said: “The police will continue their duty of maintaining law and order. The task of maintaining law and order, protecting public peace, public infrastructure are part of core responsibilities of the police.

“We will continue to undertake operations in furtherance of this mandate. We are not out because of anybody in particular. We are out doing our job and we will continue to do so.”

In Lagos, the police warned “trouble makers” to keep off because they were ready to give them doses of it.

“Lagos is a peaceful state. Lagosians are accommodating and so, we welcome all peace lovers but those seeking trouble should stay away because the enforcement continues and we will give trouble for trouble,” said Bala Elkana, the Lagos Police Command’s spokesman.

DSS has applied for permission to further detain Sowore for 90 days pending the conclusion of its investigation.

The request formed the main relief in an ex-parte application filed by DSS, which was argued its lawyer, G. O. Agbadua.

After listening to Agbadua’s argument, Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned until tomorrow for ruling.

Justice Taiwo said he needed time to examine the exhibits filed along with the application, which include two copies of digital video disks (DVD), before he could form his opinion on the issue.

The DSS said Sowore was arrested on account of the  #RevolutionNow protest which he had spearheaded.

On Sowore, activist-lawyer Femi Falana said Nigerians are entitled to peaceful protests.

According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the government is clamping down on the protesters because of the use of the word “revolution”.

Falana said: “If you are going to detain a citizen like Sowore, you can’t detain him for more than 24 hours in a place like Lagos.

“If you are going to detain Sowore beyond 24 hours, you must go and get a court order.”

It moved Sowore to Abuja Sunday morning. He is in the custody of the DSS.

In Lagos on Tuesday, a lawyer and five others were taken to a Magistrates’ Court at Ebute-Meta.

Ehis Omoshomio, 35; Gabriel Ojumah, 51, Juwon Sanyaolu, 22; Stanley Anobi, 28; Elias Ozikpu, 30; Kenechukwu Ukachukwu, 25, were arraigned by the police on a two-count charge of unlawful assembly and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.

The State Criminal Intelligence and Information Department (SCIID) Panti alleged that the defendants unlawfully assembled themselves “in such manner as to cause fear and disturb the public peace”.

Prosecuting counsel Anota Oluseye said the defendants committed the offence on August 5 at 10am, at Surulere Stadium, Lagos.

He alleged that the six defendants assembled at the National Stadium Surulere to protest, adding that the gathering was unlawful and caused fear to the public.

The offences, the prosecutor added, infringed on sections 44 and 168(1)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants all pleaded not guilty.

Following a bail application by their counsel, Mr. Stanley Imhanruor, Chief Magistrate  A.O. Komolafe admitted Ojumah, a lawyer, to bail on self-recognition and the other five defendants to N100,000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum.

Komolafe adjourned further proceedings till September 26.