Deji Adeyanju: Political Activist Imprisoned -By Jeff Okoroafor

Someone once said that the power to arrest – to deprive a citizen of his or her liberty – must be used fairly, responsibly, and without bias. A week ago, precisely November 28 a political activist, Deji Adeyanju was deprived of his fundamental human rights as a citizen of this country. He was harassed, abused and illegally arrested by the Nigerian police for leading a protest against partisan conduct of top security chiefs ahead of Nigeria’s general election next February. He and the two others arrested by the police on the said date, are to be charged on allegations of constituting nuisance, incitement and aiding terrorism on social media.

Before the November 28 protest that dispersed with his arrest by a police team, Deji had led demonstrations outside major foreign diplomatic missions in Abuja, saying in his complaints that Nigeria’s future could be on the brink should security chiefs be allowed to continue in their current partisan posturing. Those who know Deji can speak to his nonviolent stands on protests. His code on protests is strongly vested in the word “peaceful”. The principles of democracy is clear and unambiguous. Within that principles is the fact that every citizen of this country holds the right to free speech, freedom of peaceful assembly and of demonstration. Therefore, Deji is well entitled to his opinion on the bias of the police towards the incumbent president. What the Nigerian police has done in this regard is a breach of the democratic rights that the constitution has empowered Deji with and this says a lot about the sort of democracy the incumbent president run in this country.

The human rights record of the president Muhammadu Buhari administration has never been any good till date. As a matter of fact, Amnesty International has repeatedly hammered that Nigeria’s human rights record is appalling and that the continuous shrinking of citizens space would further deteriorate the already bad record. We still have El-Zakzaky in detention despite a court order. We still have Sambo Dasuki in detention despite a court order. Recently Abiri, a journalist was released after years of incarceration. Many other human right activists are in one detention hole or another under president Buhari government and that says a lot about the kind of democracy he is running.

The Nigerian police are wrong for what they have done, still doing. Deji has committed no crime let alone a treasonable one as the authorities have opined. He exercised his rights to free speech and of peaceful assembly as a citizen of this country. He should be released with no further delay and due apology issued.

As 2019 general election approaches, security operatives of the government must conduct themselves with discipline and be neutral for the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians.