A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili has criticised the FCT Police Command for their ban on protests and rallies at the Unity Fountain, Abuja.
The Police had tear-gassed and arrested popular rights activist, Deji Adeyanju at the Unity Fountain on Friday during the #Free el-Zakzaky protest.
Ezekwesili, who also led members of the “Bring Back Our Girls” group for a sit-out at the fountain to commemorate the 4th anniversary of their abduction, in a series of tweets, asked Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria to call Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police, to order.
The human right activist said instead of asking them to infringe on the rights of citizens to hold peaceful assembly, the Police ought to be ordered to go after those responsible for killings across the country.
“Public Service Announcement. Can the @AsoRock @NGRPresident @MBuhari please ASK the IG @PoliceNG to please vacate the location of our DAILY SIT OUT for OUR #ChibokGirls?
“ASK the officers of @PoliceNG to immediately RETURN our SEATS that they have carted away.
“YOU have NO RIGHT under our Democracy to infringe on Citizens’ Constitutional Freedoms of Expression, Association & Peaceful Assembly.
“Return our SEATS. Send your officers to find the Killer Herdsmen. #StopItNOW!
“But your Sit-Outs and marches at the Unity Fountain have been peaceful. So what does it mean that “government is uncomfortable” peaceful protest by citizens in a Democratic Nigeria?
“I hope the .@AsoRock knows that this won’t work.
“We, citizens SHALL DEFEND our Rights. #BBOG!”, she wrote on her Twitter handle.
