#June12Protest: Nigerian govt must respect protesters' rights -- Groups

A coalition of civic groups has urged the Nigerian government to respect the right to peaceful protests.

The group said Nigerians who have chosen to protest peacefully on June 12 must be allowed to do so without harassment from security agencies.

“The government and its security services must play by the rules and conduct themselves in ways that guarantee the safety and wellbeing of peaceful protesters,” the coalition of 40 civic groups said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

Read the full statement below.

#JUNE12PROTEST: The Nigerian Government and its Security Services must play by the rules

Nigerians from across the country have widely publicised a peaceful #June12Protest to register their displeasure at the way the country has been governed. By this statement, the Civil Society Consortium on Civic Space wish to remind the Nigerian Government and its security services that every citizen has a constitutionally guaranteed right to protest.

Making this known in a statement, Mbasekei Martin Obono, the coordinator of the Secretariat stated that, “the government and its Security Services must play by the rules and conduct themselves in ways that guarantee the safety and wellbeing of peaceful protesters.” He went further to state that, “We align ourselves with the Federal High Court judgement in the case of Charles Oputa alias Charley Boy Vs. Nigerian Police Force & 2Ors delivered on the 22nd day of October 2018, where the learned Honourable Justice John Tsoho held that using teargas or water cannons on peaceful protesters was inhuman and degrading treatment. We wish to remind the Federal Government and its security services to abide by this judgment, the constitution they swore to protect and other international instruments and desist from carrying out arbitrary arrests and use of disproportionate or unjustified force on peaceful protesters.”

We wish to remind the government of President Muhammadu Buhari that the murder of innocent citizens during the #ENDSARS protest in Lekki and other parts of Nigeria is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians and the international community. Therefore, any violation or inhumane treatment to protesting citizens will be redressed before national courts if possible or before international courts where necessary.

“We also wish to remind the government of the provisions of section 17(2)(c) of the Nigerian constitution which require that governmental actions shall be humane.”

We also call on friends of Nigeria and the international community to pay close attention to the #June12Protest and help to avert an any dangers.

1. Members of the Consortium

2. Tap Nitaitive For Citizens Development