13 CSOs harp on dialogue, release of detained protesters

A coalition of 13 civil society organisations has advised that the government’s proposed dialogue with the #EndBadGovernance protesters should “begin with an immediate release of all arrested peaceful protesters and sanctions against security agents who attacked unharmed peaceful protesters.”

President Tinubu, during his speech on the fourth day of the protest, expressed the government’s openness to dialogue with protesters.

The CSOs advised that the dialogue be “pursued by officials and representatives of both sides with sincerity of purpose.”

The signatories of the statement include BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Journalism Innovation & Development (CJID), Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and Enough is Enough (EiE).

However, they warned that the dialogue may be difficult to broker if the security forces continue to “aggravate” the situation with protesters.

They also recommended that representatives of the National Peace Committee and “reputable civil society groups serve as facilitators and observers of this dialogue process and its outcomes.”

The protests have entered their sixth day and protesters continue to demand economic and political reforms such as the return of petrol subsidies and a slash in the salaries and allowances of public officials.

As the protesters vowed to keep marching until 10 August, the organisations urged the federal government to “concede the low-hanging requests as a reassurance of its commitment to citizen-centred governance and leadership.”

In addition, the organisations reminded the Nigerian government that sovereignty belongs to the people, and it is imperative to engage citizens from the perspective of their needs within their stated demands.

Violence against protesters

Since the first day of the protest, the police, especially in Abuja and some northern states, have used violence to suppress the protests — firing tear-gas canisters at the demonstrators and journalists covering the protests.

On the first day, they also arrested some protesters and journalists, including PREMIUM TIMES’ Yakubu Mohammed, who was brutalised by the police.

By the third day of the protests, the police said they had arrested nearly 700 protesters across the country.

On Sunday night, security operatives arrested a leader of one of the groups leading the protests.

Amnesty International reported that at least 13 people have been killed, mainly by the police, since the protests began. The police, however, dispute the figures and the causes.

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Despite these cases, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, claimed that his officials handled the protests professionally.

Some protesters also turned violent and looted properties in places like Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna and Plateau, leading to the imposition of curfews.

In some northern states like Kano and Kaduna, some protesters also waved Russian flags. Over 30 of such people have been arrested, authorities said, warning that that amounts to treason.