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BREAKING: @officialABAT TINUBU REGIME’s TYRANNY REARING ITS UGLY HEAD EVERYWHERE

A contingent of security forces just stormed the CDHR offices in Lagos to stop a symposium scheduled to mourn those killed so far during #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #DaysofRage

Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the unlawful invasion of the Ikeja Lagos office of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) This coming days after NLC headquarters was ransacked, is a dangerous dimension to the attacks on freedom of association.

Now, the office of the human rights defenders is under the siege of dozens of heavily armed policemen, soldiers and other security personnel. The Nigerian authorities must investigate this incident and give directive to the security personnel to immediately vacate the office.

The violent crackdown on protesters against hunger nationwide since 1 August trailed by attacks on civil society organizations are a worrying indication of President Bola Tinubu’s government utter disregard for human rights and determination to crush dissent.

The dwindling civic space in #Nigeria is set to create a toxic climate of fear that may put activists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations and journalists in danger.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (@NLCHeadquarters) has condemned the alleged seige laid to the Nat'l HQ of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), in Ikeja-Lagos, by the @PoliceNG, describing the move as an unwarranted intrusion and an attack on the rights of the #CDHR to conduct its lawful businesses peacefully.

According to reports, truckloads of police personnel have cordoned off the place since the early hours of Friday.

In an earlier press release, the President of @NLCHeadquarters, Comrade Joe Ajaero, had condemned the invasion of its own Nat'l HQ and Secretariat, in Abuja on Wednesday, by a troop of heavily armed security operatives in search of seditious materials used for the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.

@AmnestyNigeria also condemned the invasion.

@PoliceNG, however, in response claimed that the @NLCHeadquarters and its Secretariat were not the focus of a lawful operation, which was targeted at a rented shop within the building used by a prime suspect — a foreign national — as a front for his criminal activities in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the organizers of the #EndBadGovernance protests had planned to end a 3-day mourning with a public symposium on Friday at .the CDHR's 🏠︎ House, in honour of the #Nigerians who lost their lives during the #nationwideprotests.

Organizers of the #EndBadGovernance protests said its findings showed that security personnel, at the locations where lives were lost, used tactics designed to kill and have demanded for the sack of @IGPEgbetokun, the Inspector-General of @PoliceNG.

The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began on Aug. 1, was planned to last 10 days.

Police invade CDHR office in Lagos

By Henry Ojelu
August 9, 2024

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, has raised the alarm over the invasion of its national headquarters, Right House, in Ikeja Lagos by the Nigerian Police.

A statement by CDHR National President, Comrade Debo Adeniran, and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Idris Olayinka, noted that the Police laid siege to the Rights House in the early hours of Friday.

They said the Police prevented occupants of the building from gaining entrance.

The statement further noted that the Police presence at the Rights House is to stop the Education Rights Campaign Symposium scheduled to hold at the main hall of the CDHR office.

“The police were seen with several Hilux vans laying siege to the CDHR National Headquarters Rights House, preventing the participants from holding the programme.

“We, however, use this medium to call on the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Police Commissioner to call these people to order from stopping a lawful and peaceful assembly.

“Otherwise, it will tantamount to gross violation of rights to peaceful assembly and freedom speech,” the statement reads.

Vanguard should learn to factcheck and not run along with a one-sided story, especially just for sensationalism.

The police were present around the venue but at no point did the police invade the venue or stop anyone from gaining access to the venue. The symposium held without any form of hindrance and under adequate security provided by the police and other security agencies.

We have seen pictures from the CDHR itself of police officers meters away from the building but are yet to see pictures of any invasion or obstruction.

Again, to suit their predetermined narrative, Vanguard conveniently left out a paragraph from the ambiguous CDHR statement that reads:

‘CDHR hopes the police authority presence at our National Headquarters is meant for the protection of the symposium and maintenance of law as well as peaceful deliberation.’

If Vanguard cannot factcheck, they can at least balance their story by getting a reaction from the accused party.

There was no invasion! We even provided security for their procession from Adeniyi Jones to Alausa.