The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the violent disruption of a peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Nigerian capital, describing the actions of the police as “excessive and unjustified.”
The demonstration, organised by Omoyele Sowore, and other activists, was reported to be non-violent.
However, lawless officers deployed teargas and other coercive measures, prompting concerns over the government’s tolerance for peaceful dissent.
“We are particularly surprised by the reports of the arrest of several protesters in Abuja. CDHR demands the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals detained for participating in this peaceful protest. Their arrest is unnecessary and a blatant attempt to criminalise dissent,” the organisation said in a statement signed by Debo Adeniran, President of CDHR Lagos.
The group emphasised that citizens were exercising their constitutional rights when they were subjected to police force, highlighting a broader pattern of criminalising peaceful protest.
“It is our belief that no individual or group in a free and democratic society should be subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment for simply exercising their rights of expression and to peaceful assembly and, indeed, protests. The deployment of state instruments of coercion against citizens expressing such legitimate grievances against a government action is an unacceptable abuse of power and a direct assault on the sensibility of our people and civilised principles of democracy,” CDHR added.
According to the organisation, such government tactics undermine democratic principles, exacerbate public resentment, and risk creating a fertile ground for further unrest.
The human rights body further warned that attempts to silence dissent could “breed grave consequences on the nation’s peaceful coexistence and stability” and trigger public anger with “a potentiality of devastating volatility that may be difficult to douse.”
CDHR concluded by affirming its commitment to monitoring the situation closely, insisting that “those whose rights are violated in this and other protests get deserved justice.”
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