Nigeria Demand Movement (NDM), the new harbinger of pro-democracy coalitions in Nigeria, its partners across Nigeria and Diaspora have advised the federal government of President Tinubu on the fate of Minna hunger protest initiator, Mrs Aisha Jibrin, and her fellow protesters who were arrested in numbers in Niger state after their Monday February 5 mass hunger demonstrations.
The pro-democracy coalition involving local and Diaspora partners, Open Nigeria (ON), NADECO USA and civil rights affiliates warned against any manner of prolonged police custody, molestation or brutality against the detained protesters and even court prosecution.
Speaking on behalf of the pro-democracy groups in Abuja, global convener of Nigeria Demand Movement (NDM), Evang. Comrade Tony Akeni Le Moin, the coalition called on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately process those arrested and release them to their families.
The evangelist, journalist and ace civil rights leader told reporters, “President Tinubu and the IG of Police should not allow themselves to be misadvised or tempted to additionally distress the protesters by dragging them through repressive, further enraging court prosecution.”
Comrade Akeni stated furthermore: “It will be like quenching fire with petrol for President Tinubu’s government to order or allow overzealous police formations across the country to arrest already red-eyed Nigerian masses peacefully and lawfully protesting against the real and maddening social-economic hardship across the country.”
The activist continued: “As long as any group of protesters did not vandalize, loot public, private or government properties but maintained peaceful agitation, the Tinubu Administration must not subject already distraught protesters in any corner of the country through the mill of police arrests, police brutality and repressive psychological trauma.
The NDM convener further cautioned: “These are Nigerians who were driven to the streets out of extreme despair to merely voice their pains against their already overflowing agonies and outrage from Nigeria’s pandemic of social-economic hardship and despondency. They represent the widespread inclination, pulse and heartbeat of well over a hundred million hungry and angry Nigerians across the cities, communities and countryside of Nigeria who are already on the cliff edge of frustration and will take the plunge for the worse at further provocation by government forces.”
He continued: “Anything from the administration that further brutalizes their psyche and distress such as hurling them to face Nigeria’s harrowing court processes will be foolhardy and akin to quenching a tiny flame in a dry barnyard with petrol. That would likely tip Nigerians over the bend into mass uprising and chaos of unforeseeable consequences for the APC controlled government. To be forewarned is to be _forewise.”_
For the record it will be recalled that on Monday February 5, one day before the first mass protest broke out in Niger state against overbearing hardship, harsh cost of living from racy inflationary trends, NDM had conveyed an eight-point solution demand christened the Wa Kruga Manifesto to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and for good measure the Chief Justice of Nigeria, His Lordship Ariwoola Kayode.
Just before going to press, it was learnt by the media that the protests against economic crises and hardship in Nigeria are building to hold in London, New York, Washington and other capitals of the world.
It therefore might prove useful for the Tinubu administration to consider masses conciliatory measures instead of repressing confrontation by adopting some of the Wa Kruga Manifesto solutions proffered by NDM and its collaborating bodies before the building protest spread further across the country.