No fewer than 2,111 protesters have been arrested in connection with the 10-day #EndBadGovernance protests held across the country from August 1st to 10th.
Of those detained, 1,403 have been covertly arraigned in various courts, but many were remanded in prison custody due to a lack of legal representation, despite assurances from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to provide defense lawyers.
These revelations were made by Femi Falana, SAN, a renowned human rights activist and Chair of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), in a strongly worded statement titled “Halt the Clampdown on Protesters.”
Falana also issued an ultimatum to the government, demanding that the detainees be formally charged in court.
Falana highlighted the troubling arrest of seven Polish students participating in an exchange program at Bayero University, Kano, who were detained for taking photographs during the protests.
“They may be charged with espionage to give the impression that the protests were instigated by foreign interest groups,” Falana warned.
In his statement, Falana insisted that whenever the suspects are to be arraigned, they must be given adequate notice to allow them to contact the NBA and their family members to arrange legal defense.
“The decision of the authorities to deny the suspects legal representation constitutes a violent breach of their fundamental right to fair hearing,” Falana asserted, referencing Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Breakdown of Arrests Across Nigeria
Falana provided a detailed breakdown of the arrests made across various states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja:
Kano — 873
Jigawa — 403
Katsina — 120
Gombe — 111
Sokoto — 110
Borno — 99
Yobe — 90
Bauchi — 60
Plateau — 51
Kaduna — 50
FCT — 50
Nasarawa — 40
Niger — 25
Zamfara — 19
Cross River — 10
‘Suspected Looters Treated Better’
Falana did not mince words in condemning the authorities’ treatment of the protesters.
He pointed out the disparity in how suspected looters are treated compared to the detained protesters.
“This is highly discriminatory and illegal on the ground that politically exposed persons who are arrested for looting the treasury to the tune of several billions of Naira are usually informed in advance of the dates and times of their arraignment in court,” he said.
Falana criticized the leniency often granted to high-profile individuals accused of corruption, noting that they are frequently given bail on liberal terms and even allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.
In contrast, he cited the case of 783 suspects in Kano, whose alleged offense was displaying the Russian flag during the protests.
Even a tailor who was sewing the flag was reportedly arrested.
Falana questioned the rationale behind such actions, especially in a country where flags of various nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, are commonly hoisted by hotels, and where churches display the flag of Israel based on the mistaken belief that it is a Christian country.
