IGP Orders Crackdown on Activists Ahead of October 1 Protests
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reportedly directed the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to arrest activists and union leaders to thwart the planned protests on October 1.
Reports have surfaced of arbitrary abductions of activists, including Mr Adeyemi Abayomi, who was reportedly seized by IRT operatives without formal charges.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, announced that the planned fearless nationwide protest in October 2024 would not stop until the Nigerian government meets the demands of citizens.
Sowore had mentioned this while speaking on a Twitter Space conducted by the News Central TV which SaharaReporters monitored last Thursday.
The next phase of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, starting October 1, would seek to sustain the agitations against Nigeria’s bad governance issues.
A top source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that Adeyemi Abayomi who was abducted and detained without access to a lawyer was forced by the police to make false statements.
“Mr Abayomi was tortured for three days, during which he was coerced into making false statements without his lawyer present and was also forced to name comrades who regularly visit the bookshop.
“Some of the names mentioned include prominent activists and trade unionists who were not even present at the #EndBadGovernance protest.
After the police tortured the detainee to make false claims, the IRT continued to target the individuals, “which is unfortunate as they refused to invite them for questioning.”
“The lawyer who recently left IRT was able to meet with Mr Abayomi and assist him with his statement. He (Abayomi) also told him that they kept questioning him about the whereabouts of the remaining comrades,” he stated.
According to the source, “The police kept saying this is too small (referring to his arrest); they still need to arrest many more activists.'”
He noted that the Nigeria Police refused to return their phones and shoes.
They also did not return all the property of those they detained in IRT when sending them to prison.
He added that the aggressive approach by the Nigerian Police Force had raised concerns about civil liberties and freedom of expression in the country.
