Sowore: CSOs bare fangs, give FG 14-day ultimatum to act or face civil unrest

A coalition of over 200 civil rights organisations on Monday
gave the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration 14 days ultimatum within
which it should show commitment to the rule of law face or face
mass action and civil disobedience.

In one of their five demands, they asked for unconditional
release of Omoyele Sowore and others being held without
justification, failure of which there will be mass action.

Sowore was rearrested by the Department of State Services (DSS)
last Friday — less than 24 hours after he was released on bail.

He had spent 125 days in custody before his release.

The statement titled “Nigeria’s Troubling State of Affairs,
read:

“Tomorrow, December 10th, the world will celebrate Human Rights
Day. It will also be marked in Nigeria as we review the crackdown
on the freedom of the press; proposed bills to curb dissent and a
general environment of shrinking civic space of which the recent
actions of our security agencies are just an example.

“We represent a cross-section of Nigerian civil society actors
that have played various roles in Nigeria’s journey to civil
rule.

“Two key issues are of concern to us, namely: Attack on Our
Judiciary and Attack on Free Speech and Pattern of Silencing
Dissent.

“In closing, we demand the following:

“President Muhammadu Buhari to show accountability as President
and Commander-in-Chief and address the nation on his commitment to
the rule of law and human rights.

“The release of all illegally detained persons by the DSS as
revealed by Amnesty, Premium Times and Punch Newspapers in recent
months.

“That the government obey all outstanding court orders.

“An investigation of the officers who violated protocol and the
circumstances leading to Omoyele Sowore’s 2nd arrest.

“The unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore per his bail
terms.

“If these five demands are not honored within 14 days – we call
on patriots to join us as we occupy the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) offices across the country, as it is legally
mandated to protect rights and it reports to the Presidency.

“May we remind this government that disobedience calls to
disobedience, and that disobedience of the orders of the
constitutional repository of the moral authority of arbitration –
the judiciary – can only lead eventually to a people’s disregard of
the authority of other arms of civil society, a state of
desperation that is known, recognized and accepted as– civil
disobedience.

“It is so obvious – state disobedience leads eventually to civil
disobedience, piecemeal or through a collective withdrawal of
recognition of other structures of authority. That way leads to
chaos but – who set it in motion? As is often the case, the state,
unquestionably. Such a state bears full responsibility for the
ensuing social condition known as anomie.” – Wole Soyinka.”

Some of those who signed the statement include Osai Ojigho,
Amnesty International (Nigeria) Idayat Hassan, Centre for Democracy
& Development (CDD), Auwal Musa, Civil Society Legislative
Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Enough is Enough
Nigeria (EiE Nigeria), Lanre Suraj, (HEDA) & People’s
Alternative Front, Kola Ogundare, Socio-Economic Right And
Accountability Project (SERAP), Jaye Gaskia, Take Back Nigeria
(TBN), Biola Akiode-Afolabi, Women Advocates Research and
Documentation Centre (WARDC) & Transition Monitoring Group
(TMG).

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