The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has allegedly instructed the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to arrest activists and union leaders in a bid to thwart the planned protests set for October 1.
Reports indicate that activists, including Mr. Adeyemi Abayomi, have been arbitrarily detained by IRT operatives without any formal charges.
According to earlier reports by SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, declared that the nationwide protests scheduled for October 2024 would persist until the Nigerian government addresses the citizens’ demands. Sowore made this statement during a Twitter Space hosted by News Central TV, which SaharaReporters monitored last Thursday.
The upcoming phase of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, set to begin on October 1, aims to maintain pressure on the government to address issues related to poor governance in Nigeria.
A reliable source informed SaharaReporters on Tuesday that Mr. Adeyemi Abayomi, who had been detained without access to legal representation, was forced by the police to provide false statements.
“Mr. Abayomi was subjected to three days of torture, during which he was compelled to make false claims without his lawyer present. He was also coerced into naming comrades who regularly visit the bookshop,” the source said. The names given included several prominent activists and trade unionists who were not even involved in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Following the forced confession, the IRT continued to pursue the individuals mentioned by Mr. Abayomi, without extending an invitation for questioning, which the source described as “unfortunate.”
“The lawyer, who recently left IRT, was eventually able to meet with Mr. Abayomi and assist with his statement. Abayomi also revealed that they kept asking about the whereabouts of other comrades,” the source added.
The source further disclosed that the police remarked that “this is too small” in reference to Abayomi’s arrest, implying that they planned to arrest many more activists.
The source also noted that the Nigeria Police refused to return the phones, shoes, and other personal property of those detained by the IRT when sending them to prison.
The harsh tactics employed by the Nigerian Police Force have sparked concerns about the state of civil liberties and freedom of expression in the country.
For more updates, join our WhatsApp channel: Click Here.