Fred Itua, Abuja
A human rights lawyer and national coordinator of Advocates of Peoples Right and Justice, Mr Victor Giwa, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to release the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, following his purported arrest by officials of the Department of State (DSS) at the weekend.
Giwa called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to showcase what his administration has achieved in the last four years.
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According to him, the primary responsibility of government is the protection of its citizens and not arbitrary arrests of those opposed to policies of government.
In a statement released and made available to Daily Sun, Giwa said:
“We the members of condemn the arrest and detention of Sowore over his call for the proposed protest tagged DAY OF RAGE.
“We wish to state that it is the right of very citizen to protest by expressing their opinions on issues that affect them as person or group of persons .
“This right is captured in Chapter 5 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution as amended and the Africa Charter on Human and People Rights, where Article 11, provides for freedom to associate.
“We believe such unlawful arrest on the basis of a call for protest, is illegal and unconstitutional as the protest is to call on citizens to express their rage if they have any against the government.
“The solution to such call for protest is for the government to show to its citizens its efforts, achievement, and development it has attained and sustained for the citizens.
“The government should show the citizens it report card of achievement and we believe the protest will naturally diminish.
“We, therefore, call for immediate release of Sowore and the government should restrain themselves to the protection of the citizens.”