Igboho, Kanu: Don’t let Nigeria regress into era of lawless military jackboots, Okei-Odumakin begs Nigerians

“We also must not relapse under military jackboots because this is a democracy brought about by great sacrifice in lives, limbs, and personal comforts and conveniences.

“We are a country under law. Fundamental rights must be respected. The Constitution that gives the government its powers also accords the people their rights and privileges. It is not acceptable for the government to claim its own powers under the Constitution while abridging those of the people freely given under the same Constitution”

Nigeria must not be allowed to relapse into the days of military jackboots and state-sponsored terrorism as witnessed under maximum ruler, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, decades ago, an activist has said.

The President of Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said Nigeria’s democracy should be defended and prevented from being relapsing under military jackboots.

“We also must not relapse under military jackboots because this is a democracy brought about by great sacrifice in lives, limbs, and personal comforts and conveniences.

“We are a country under law. Fundamental rights must be respected. The Constitution that gives the government its powers also accords the people their rights and privileges.

“It is not acceptable for the government to claim its own powers under the Constitution while abridging those of the people freely given under the same Constitution,” Okei-Odumakin said in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

Reacting to the raid carried out on the house of the Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho by DSS-led forces, she said it amounted to a vicious violation of his rights.

“The vicious violation of the rights of Chief Sunday Igboho, whose house was raided without a search warrant, belong in a banana republic.

“The wanton destruction of lives and property of a citizen that has not been found guilty of a crime by a court of competent jurisdiction is alien to democratic norms.

“It is also anatemma to the rule of law,” Okei-Odumakin also said.

On the sales girl allegedly felled by stray bullet near the Yoruba Nation rally in Ojota, Lagos, on Saturday, the woman activist called for a thorough investigation into the girl’s death.

She equally asked the police to release unconditionally all those arrested at the rally.

“Protests are an intrinsic part of democracy – except this is not a democracy!

“In light of the foregoing, we demand the following: that the rights of citizens to protest must be respected by government, that thorough investigation be made into the alleged death of a girl in the vicinity of the Ojota rally of Saturday.”

Persecondnews had reported that the police command in Lagos State had in a statement denied that the girl was killed by a stray bullet, insisting that “no live bullet was fired at the rally.”

On IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Okei-Odumakin stated: “The controversy surrounding the alleged international abduction or kidnapping of Kanu is an embarrassment to right-thinking Nigerians.

“In the past under the Abacha junta, this country was treated by the international community as a pariah with all the embarrassment, discomfiture, and loss of esteem suffered by Nigerians.

“We must never tread that ignoble path again.

“In the midst of this chaotic disorder, the National Assembly is also attempting to alter the Electoral Act (Sec 50 (2)) on Tuesday, 6th July, 2021 with an attempt to remove electronic transmission of vote making it discretionary.

“That all those arrested be released forthwith and unconditionally, that government should respond to allegations that Kanu was kidnapped/abducted from a foreign country against international law and conventions, that the said Kanu should be deemed innocent until proven otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“That he should be given fair hearing conducted in the open and his health must not be impaired or compromised throughout the period of his trial, government should stop hunting Igboho who is only exercising his rights to protest bad governance.

“Instead, government should focus its attention on combating the insurgency ravaging the country.”