Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana, on Monday vehemently protested
the arrest of participants of a symposium organised by the Coalition for
Revolutionary (CORE) movement in Lagos, as he also condemned the action of the
police in the matter which also led to the sealing off of the venue for the
event.
Those participants were arrested when operatives of
the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army at the early hours
of Monday morning stormed the venue scheduled for the symposium in Ikeja,
Lagos, between members of the CORE movement and notable activists in Nigeria
and sealed it.
The action of the security agents eventually led to an altercation
between members of the group and the security agencies, leading to the arrest
of three members of the group.
However, the event which was scheduled to hold at the
Lagos Centre located at Oregun in Ikeja, was billed to be attended by Prof.
Wole Soyinka, Prof. Omotoye Olorede, . Femi Falana (SAN), Mr. Femi
Aborishade, Gbenga Komolafe, Affiong L. Affiong, and other notable groups such
as, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Teachers Union Congress, Centre for
Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), National Association of Nigerian Students
(NANS), among others.
It was learnt that the symposium with the theme: ‘Democracy,
State Repression and the State of Insecurity in Nigeria’ was believed to be related
to the #RevolutionNow movement and the arrest of its leader, Sowore.
Falana, who also protested against the eventual
sealing off of the venue for the event by security operatives, however, called
for the release of the presidential candidate of the African Alliance Congress
(AAC), Omoyele Sowole, who was arrested by the DSS on August 5, adding that
using the word revolution to champion protests does not amount to treason.
The symposium, which the organisers described as a
working consultative assembly of activists and organisations against illegal
detention of Nigerians by the federal government, was however held after the
initial hiccups following the intervention of the Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Zubairu Muazu.
He said the actions of the Nigerian Police in
disrupting the symposium amount to illegality, declaring that citizens have the
right to peaceful protest, and that it was the role of security agencies to
provide protection for participants.
The human rights lawyer, in his speech, said:
"I can assure you that we are going to hold the programme peacefully.
Since the Nigeria Police Force is around, then they should provide security for
us. We have the right to discuss the affairs of the country without violence,
and I can assure of that.
"The law in Nigeria is that the police have a
duty as security officers to protect us when we want to have a rally or a
political meeting so that no other person would prevent us from achieving our
aim of peaceful assembly, as the right to meet, is guaranteed in section 39
of the Nigerian Constitution, and section 40 gives us the right to assemble and
discuss the affairs of our country.
"The amended code of the police states that
when there is a protest, the police should be neutral, and should not take a side
with the government or protesters."
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the initial
disruption by the police reminded him of the dark days of late General Sani
Abacha, where protesters were disrupted, adding that he knew many participants
may have turned back. “I was informed that about three people were arrested
this morning, and I will make sure they are released unconditionally.
"Those who took to the streets to protest
against injustice can’t be charged for breaching any law. It may interest you
to know that even under the colonial regime, Nigerians fought and defended
their rights," he said.
On the arrest of Sowore, Falana said there was no
section of the Nigerian Constitution that criminalises the word ‘revolution’,
adding that the DSS claim of investigating him has no place in the law.
According to him, “It can only be criminal if you
actualise the use of the word. The man was arrested before the demonstration.
When we get to that bridge, we will cross it. The word revolution had been used
in the past, even during the colonial era.”
He enjoined the participant to imbibe the culture
of persistence and endurance as the key to revolution.
"The course for revolution is not new.
Political leaders in this country have been calling for revolution, so if there
is a mistake now, that mistake must be corrected. As far as I am concerned,
this country belongs to all of us. They said we shouldn’t go on the streets,
and now, we are trying to gather in a hall, still, they won't allow us.
"Revolution is not a dinner party; it is a
rigorous contest for the soul of the country. The struggle is going to take
time and there is no going back. We do not have the revolution yet but there
are revolution pressures. It will come sooner than we think. This country
occupies a prominent place in history, and if we don't get it right today, the
black nation is doomed," he added.
On his own, Afro musician, Seun Kuti, who was one
of the guest speakers at the symposium, charged participants to stand firm for
positive revolution for the future generation.
Kuti said: "Nobody in Nigeria is law-abiding.
I see little children crossing the road where there are no zebra crossings.
What does it mean to be law-abiding?
Everybody is willing to break the laws for our personal interest. The
matter of revolution is not about being law-abiding or not, but we want to do
it collectively for our unborn children.
“RevolutionNow
for me was meant to bring freedom, because revolutionary action is a reflective
action. Revolutionary work is not about saving somebody but ourselves. In
whatever decisions that have been made, we have the right to come under any
banner to protest without being arrested.”
One of the Co-conveners of CORE, Mr. Seyi Ajayi,
reminded Nigerians that democracy and the relative freedom the country enjoys
today is a product of a struggle. "They will take away our rights only if
we allow them. The first thing to drop is our fear. It is necessary to
understand that it will be a protracted struggle. The revolution is not going
to happen overnight," he said.
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