Nigerians have taken to social media to berate the police for the arrest of 20 #RevolutionNow protesters in the Ikeja area of Lagos today.
The protesters, including activists Agba Jalingo and Femi Adeyeye, were reportedly whisked away to the Area F Police Command, Ikeja, where they are being detained.
The detainees had joined a simultaneous nationwide peaceful protest to demand better governance from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The protest which held today, August 5, also marked the one-year anniversary of a similar protest that led to the arrest and continued prosecution of the Convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore.
There have been reports of targeted harassment of participants in today’s nationwide protests by the police, Army and other security agencies.
Popular activist, Deji Adeyanju stated that more than 60 protesters were harassed and arrested in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) alone.
A similar situation was reported in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Sowore’s popular online news medium, Sahara Reporters identified others arrested by the police in Lagos as Omolara Alagbala, Kelly Orodu, Kolawole Adeneka, Fela Samson Okafor, Akinnubi Margaret, Orunsolu Oluremi (Remyte Goonz).
Others are Oyebiyi Ademola, Owatunde, Akinnubi Deborah, Akinnubi Emmanuel, Kehinde Babatunde Joseph, Adedoyin Olorunshola Truth, Rachael Ochuwa, Babatunde Famutimi, Akinbade Olamide, Monike Okechukwu and Sodiq Ogunshola.
Meanwhile, many Nigerians took to Twitter to lend their voices to the #RevolutionNow protest and demand the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters.
Read comments below:
#NewProfilePic #RevolutionNow #RevolutionProtest stop arresting peacefull protesters! We have freedom to exercise our right! @PoliceNG stop been a devil tools to hurt your sons and daughter fighting for their future! pic.twitter.com/QJ3pVUoxVH
— Freedom of speech activist (@Ravishing102) August 5, 2020
Against all odds, the guys who planned the #RevolutionNow protest still went out to protest knowing fully well that the police, army and DSS would forcefully attack them.
And they were not disappointed, they were attacked.
That's exactly the beginning of the Revolution.
— Tosin Olugbenga (@TosinOlugbenga) August 5, 2020
The DSS / Soldiers / Olokpas making these #RevolutionNow arrests are the DUMBEST. One day you’ll be helpless pensioners and the system you protect today will fail u . Then you’ll remember the day u arrest those bold enough to fight for a better country . Cowards !
— OSHOMAh (@JohnNetworQ) August 5, 2020
These are the classrooms where the children of the poor stay to receive classes, flooded with water and you say we shouldn't speak up!!! How dear you try to shut us down!!! #RevolutionNow pic.twitter.com/Mbf9KOmIiQ
— Charles Logan (@ceo_logan) August 5, 2020
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